The Witch Queen and the Beast
by ibitchcraft
Summary: Robin, a baker's daughter, is sent to live with a beast. She falls in love, but leaves him behind to go seek her destiny. She meets Aurora, a bastard, and Snow White, a princess. They have adventures together throughout the land. She becomes Witch Queen, and must fight the evil that threatens the kingdom from the west.


My father was never good at saying no. So when the Beast demanded tribute, demanded a sacrifice be made at once, he was all, "Of course, of course, anything you want. Anything at all."

I should have been a boy. If I had a cock between my legs instead of a vagina my father would never have given me away. He never would have bundled me up like a piece of furniture and tossed me into a dungeon to rot, the plaything of some demonic monster who didn't even say please. Even still, I had more balls than all the men in my family put together. I was not some helpless princess, a stranded damsel in despair. I had plans up my sleeves and a knife in my pocket.

I tied my horse to the post by the front of the castle, and let myself in. The atrium was larger than my entire house, and a huge chandelier the size our of kitchen table hung above it all, glowing dustily in the twilight.

"Hello?" I called. "Is anyone here? It's me, Belle."

Belle was a stupid name. It meant beauty, but I was anything but. With my dirt brown hair and smattering of freckles and grass stains on my knees I was the laughingstock of our town. One by one my friends got married, but I kept my nose in a book and my finger out of a ring. None of the dumb bowlegged boys in our village interested me at all, and the feeling was certainly mutual.

A shadowy figure appeared on the stair.

"Welcome to your new home," he growled. "Dinner will be served shortly."

"This isn't my home," I snapped. "I'm your prisoner. This is my dungeon."

"I will show you to your room," he said, ignoring me.

I followed him up the stairs, taking in the dusty handrails and the grim coating the steps.

"I hope you don't expect me to clean," I told him. "This place is a shithole-"

"Watch your language," he said irritably. "That vocabulary is unbecoming of a lady."

"Look, I'll say whatever the fuck I want-"

He made a motion as if to strike me, and I flinched, but he merely pointed down the hallway.

"Your room is the one at the end, to the left. Mine is across the hall. The dining room is down the stairs and to the right. I expect you there in ten minutes."

And in a sweeping moment reminiscent of a bat or a vampire, he left.

I opened the thick oaken door of my room and stepped inside. Tall windows stretched from the floor to the ceiling, draped with heavy velvet curtains that probably cost more than my father earned in an entire year. A four poster bed stood in the center, with intricately carved mahogany posts. A tall wardrobe stood in the corner, filled with colorful dresses and shoes. I chose a shirt and some gartered pants, and laced in some leather boots I found behind the high heels and ballet flats. A mirror with clawed feet hung beside the wardrobe, and I admired my reflection as I laced up the shirt. I hated wearing dresses. They were restricting and made it difficult to run quickly.

If the Beast thought I was going to stay past dinner, he was sorely mistaken. I slipped my knife down my boot, and grabbed my jacket before heading downstairs.

The Beast frowned at my masculine apparel, but said nothing. The dining room was enormous, like the rest of the castle, and the table seemed to stretch for miles. I was unsure where I should seat myself until the Beast gestured to the seat to his right.

I slid into the high backed chair and neatly folded my napkin on my lap.

"So do I just call you Beast or what?" I asked.

"My name is Adam," he said. A butler brought out our food on silver platters. It was steak and mashed potatoes, and I wolfed it down as if I'd never eaten before.

"Your name is Belle?"

"Yeah, but you can call me Robin," I said, my mouth full.

He scowled. "Don't they teach you table manners where you're from?"

I swallowed. "No, but they did teach me how to milk cows, spin wool, ride horses, build fences, and read books."

He chewed his steak in silence.

"So how old are you anyway?" I asked casually. "You don't look any older than a hundred."

"I'm twenty six," he snapped. "And what are you, forty?"

"I celebrated the second anniversary of my eighteenth birthday last week," I said amiably.

"That's one way to look at it."

"I'm forever young, baby."

The butler brought out dessert and took our dinner plates away. Desserts was crème brulee and coffee. I loved the way the scorched caramel cracked beneath my spoon.

"What do you do all day anyway? You know, when you're not terrorizing the townsfolk."

"I don't terrorize the townsfolk." He looked annoyed. "I have a lot of things to do here. It's a large estate and it needs tending to."

"Don't you have servants or whatever to do that for you?" 

"There are a lot of logistics I have to manage."

"Yawn. Sounds boring."

"That's why you're here."

"I guess I'm at your service."

I woke up the next day to sunlight streaming through the curtains. For a moment, I forgot that I was being held captive by a megalomaniac beast in a medieval castle. I thought about the horses that needed to be brushed, the cow that needed to be milked, the peas that needed shelling. And then I remembered.

"It's okay," I said out loud. "I wasn't meant to be a farm girl anyway."

I pulled on a soft brown skirt and a sweater and groggily dragged myself downstairs to breakfast.

A platter of eggs and toast was waiting for me, still steaming hot from the kitchen. I helped myself to some coffee with cream and sugar, and admired the wild forest through the kitchen windows.

"Good morning," I said cheerily when Beast – Adam walked through the door.

He grumbled indistinctly at me before helping himself to a large serving of butter and toast.

"So, what's on the agenda today?" I asked.

"I can show you around the grounds," he said.

"Sounds good," I said, pocketing a stack of toast.

The grounds seemed to go on and on forever. The forest stretched tall and dark far into the distance, dense and foreboding. Adam showed me the barn with the horses and chickens. Outside there was a small vegetable garden that needed weeding, and a few birdfeeders.

"So what's your story anyway?" I asked as we tramped our way back to the castle, our breath steaming in the air.

"Well, when I was sixteen, a fairy fell in love with me." 

"A what now?"

"A fairy. They were a lot more common back then than they are now. Anyway, this one fell in love with me, and when I didn't return the favor, she cursed me. And my parents couldn't have a beast around, so they sent me here."

"Wow, that sucks." I couldn't think of anything to say. "So, is there any way you can break the curse?"

"Not that I know of." He shrugged. "Maybe when she dies. Or I die. Who knows?"

I was silent.

"Have you ever, you know, just tried shaving it all off?"

He laughed. It was the first time I'd heard him laugh, and it was a barking sound. It made me feel warm inside.

"I don't think so. There would be a lot of me to shave."

We took a break for lunch, sitting outside on the stone fence, eating turkey sandwiches and sharing a bottle of wine that was much fancier than anything I had a right to. We talked about our childhoods and the books we liked to read when we were younger, our childhood friends and so on. He was surprisingly easy to talk to. I found myself opening up about things I'd never told anyone. It must have been hard for him, cooped up in that castle for almost a decade. No wonder he wanted someone for company.

"So why aren't you married?" he asked as we wandered the meandering trails that crisscrossed his property.

"I don't know," I answered honestly. "I guess no one wanted to marry me. And my father must've thought things seemed bleak, or else he wouldn't have sent me here."

He nodded sympathetically. "That must have been rough."

I shrugged. "Not really. I've never really wanted to get married and have kids and do all that housewife stuff. I was never interested in cooking or cleaning or any of that womanly nonsense. All I wanted to do was raise horses and read. Maybe write a novel. I don't know. But I didn't want a boring life."

He nodded again. "I know what you mean. I wanted to join the army and go out and see distant lands and saizl oceans. But now I'm just stuck here."

"You could still join the army!" I pointed out. "You could still do all the things you wanted to do. Nothing's keeping you here."

He shook his head bitterly. "What army would take me? As soon as I step off these grounds people start bringing out their pitchforks and torches. No one wants me around. I'm a freak."

He looked so dejected I reached out a hand and took his paw. He looked alarmed, as if he might draw his hand back, but then he relaxed, and we walked back together, hand in paw.

And so days melted into weeks, and weeks melted into months. The leaves burst into flame, into brilliant reds and oranges and yellows, before falling from the trees and leaving their dark branches bare and threatening. Adam and I enjoyed each other's company day after day, until I really did start to feel like the castle was home, like I belonged in ways I had never belonged before. I felt like I could be myself, like I finally wasn't being pulled in a thousand different directions, being pinched and prodded into someone the rest of the world wanted me to become. I felt safe.

One morning I awoke to a fine layer of frost on the ground, as if someone had come during the night and laid down a thin sheet of lace over the grass. I rushed over to Adam's room and shook him awake.

"Look! First snow!" I cried, pointing.

He yawned and buried himself back into his pillow. I laughed and turned to leave, but then he grabbed my hand and pulled me into bed with him. I squealed and fought halfheartedly, but he wrapped his warm furry arms around me and held me close. I could feel his hot breath against my ear, and his heart thumping against my back. I closed my eyes and hugged his arms against me.

We must have laid like that for a couple hours, because when we finally pulled ourselves out of bed, the sun was high in the sky and the frost had melted. We trudged down to the kitchens and ate grilled cheese sandwiches in contented silence.

"I have something to show you," he said, as we munched away. I followed him past the atrium past some side doors I'd never noticed before. Behind them was the largest ballroom I'd ever seen. The floor glowed with fine gold leaf, and tall windows stretched from the floor to the ceiling, which arched gracefully above us. Adam put a record on an old phonograph, and a tinkling sonatina began to play. He held out a hand, a faint smile on his lips.

"Oh no," I said, shaking my head. "I don't dance. I have three left feet."

But he ignored my protests and pulled me into his arms. With one hand on my waist and another holding my hand, he gently guided me along with the music. Amazingly, I did not trip, and we swayed gracefully across the floor. I rested my head against his chest and marveled at that joyful thrum.

The sun dropped in the sky, like a distant copper coin. Finally we came to a halt. He bowed and I gave him a clumsy curtsy. He took my hand again, and led me to a door on the opposite end of the room.

"Close your eyes!" he whispered, placing his paws over my eyes. I giggled and tried to peek between his furry fingers.

"Okay, now!"

My breath caught in my throat. From the floor to the ceiling stretched shelf upon shelf of the most beautiful books I had ever seen. Their color bindings filled the tall walls top to bottom, and ladders were scattered here and there to help reach the higher shelves. A warm glow came from a glistening chandelier and candles flickering cheerfully on tables. There were large cushions and sofas here and there, and I felt that I could stay in this room forever.

"You like it?" he asked nervously.

"I love it," I said, when I finally found my voice. "It's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen."

"It's yours," he answered.

My jaw dropped. I didn't know what to say. My whole life I had never received so much as a Christmas present, and I wouldn't have known what to do with one if I had. And now he was giving me an entire library, full of worlds waiting to be read, waiting to come alive. I could feel tears welling in my eyes. Before I realized what was happening, I had thrown my arms around his neck and pressed my lips hard against his.

It was as if I had gotten trapped outside during an electric storm in a suit of armor. I had never felt anything like the energy running through our bodies. He held me close as I ran my fingers through his thick hair. My eyes were closed, but fireworks exploded behind my eyelids.

And in that moment I knew that I could never stay with him. That even if I had to carve my heart out of my chest myself and give it to him, I had to leave as soon as possible. Breathless, I wrenched myself away, my palms resting on his heaving chest.

"I have to leave," I told him. "I can't stay here. I don't belong."

He looked as if I had stabbed him in the back. "But, why?"

I shook my head, snot filling my nose and tears overflowing down my cheeks.

"I can't explain. It's just, I can't be your prisoner forever. I have a, a destiny to fulfill. I know it sounds stupid, but-"

"You're my destiny," he murmured against my hair. I could feel him shaking against me.

"This won't work," I said resolutely. "I can't save you. I have to save myself first."

"We could save each other."

"It doesn't work like that. I have journeys to make, miles to walk before I sleep. I have to be the heroine, not the damsel in distress. I need to fight my own battles, slay my own dragons. I can't stay here with you."

He nodded mutely. I could feel his tears running down my face. It was the hardest thing I had ever done, but I pulled myself away, grabbed my jacket, and walked out the door.

"Will I see you again?" he called as I tugged the front door open.

I shook my head. "I hope so, but I can't make any promises."

And so I saddled my horse and rode away into the sunset, not daring to look back, scared that if I did, I might turn into a pillar of salt.

Chapter Two: Sleeping Beauty

I rode on and on for several days without sleeping, stopping only to eat and drink. My horse finally collapsed from exhaustion, and I left the poor animal heaving and frothing at the mouth by the river and went on on foot. The air was crisp and clear like champagne, and although my feet were sore and blistered, I stumbled on, unsure of where I was heading.

Finally I found a dirt road that eventually connected with a main road. A carpenter in a carriage passed me on his way to town, and offered me a ride.

"I'm heading to Heathridge," he told me. "It's a sanitarium by the coast. They ordered several beds and shelves."

"A sanitarium?" I asked. "Like, an insane asylum?"

He shrugged. "They have all sorts there. The mad, the sane, the tubercular. Anyone who needs a place to stay, or those who have no where to go."

"That sounds like me," I said. "I wonder if they'll let me stay overnight? I haven't slept in days."

"You'd be better off in an inn, but I suppose no one will mind if you stay for a night."

Heathridge rose high and foreboding over the arid moor. It's high walls were granite, with spikes at the top, whether to keep outsiders in or insiders out. It did not look like a place where people came to heal and recover.

The Mother Superior who greeted me was a stern and gray woman of advancing years, but still strong and commanding. She told me that their rooms were full, but I could share a room with a comatose patient who had been there for a number of months.

"Her name is Aurora," she told me. "A pretty name. Bit of a waste if you ask me."

We climbed a tall winding tower to the very top, where a small wooden door waited at the end of the stairs. It was low, with a rounded frame, and I had to stoop to get inside.

Within the small circular room were two beds, and on one of them lay the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. She had long golden hair that spilled across her pillow in gentle curls. Her oval face looked serene with its thick lashes and rosy cheeks and full, peach colored lips. Underneath the covers her body was slim but graced with feminine curves. My heart sped at the sight of her.

"Well, here she is," the Mother Superior gestured dismissively. "Your roommate for the night. I suppose you two will get along just fine."

And then she made the sign of the cross and left.

I sank down into the small cot and fell asleep almost instantly. When I awoke it was almost dark and the sky outside was gradually turning purple. Aurora still lay there, her perfect chest rising and falling evenly with every breath.

"Hi there," I said, wondering if I was losing it too. "My name is Belle, but you can call me Robin. Belle was my mother's name, and I used to have a brother named Robin but he died when we were very young. We were twins. No one understood me like he did. It's like we were two halves of the same whole. But one day we were playing by the river, and one minute we were laughing, trying to catch the silver minnows swimming by, and the next minute, well, he wasn't there anymore."

I took a deep breath. "They found his body the next day, broken and bruised. At his funeral, I didn't cry at all. Robin hated it when I cried. I think my father hated me after that. He said it should have been me. I guess that's why he was so eager to give me up to the Beast. Well, his name is Adam."

I watched her eyelashes flutter. "I guess I could have stayed with him. I could have grown to love him, and I'm sure he loves me. We could have lived together, maybe gotten married and had kids. Who knows? But that wasn't for me. I could tell. I'm supposed to go out and have adventures."

Her lips seemed to glow in the dusky sunlight. They were so red, so full, so flawless. My lips never looked like that. They were pale and thin, like a boy's. I wondered what it would be like to taste her lips against mine.

And then, like magic, I was standing over her bed. And then I was leaning in, my lips parted, and like an apple drawn to earth I was pulled in irresistibly by her gravity.

Our lips touched. If my kiss with Adam was electric, this was magnetic. Her lips tasted like cherries, and though I thought they would be cold, they were warm like loaves of bread fresh out of the oven. And then, impossibly, her lips parted beneath mine, and our tongues mingled like strange dogs meeting for the first time.

She gasped, as if she hadn't breathed in years. She gulped down that air like a dying man gulps water. I stumbled backwards and fell, my eyes wide as she sat bolt upright in her bed.

"Where am I?" she demanded. "Who are you? Why are you here?"

"Um," I stammered. "You're in Heathridge Sanitarium. I think you've been here for a few months. And I just got here last night. My name is Robin."

She stared at me for a moment, and then burst into tears. Loud, heaving, noisy tears.

Unsure of what to do, I sat on the edge of her bed and gingerly patted her leg through the covers. "There, there," I said lamely.

"I don't understand," she sobbed. "One minute, I was helping the old lady spin her thread, and the next moment, I'm here. How long has it been?"

I shrugged. "Look, we can go ask the Mother Superior. I'm sure she'll have some answers."

She didn't, as it turned out. The Mother Superior was just as baffled as we were. Apparently someone had left Aurora at Heathridge three months prior, with no note or message. And she had lain there in that tower day after day until me. Until our kiss.

We stayed up that night in that tower, talking. We talked about dreams, mostly, because what else do you talk about to someone who has been sleeping for three months? We talked about dreams past and dreams for the future. What we wanted to be when we grew up, what we wanted to do before we died, where we wanted to go. There were so many things to say, so many secrets to share and confessions to confide. I felt like we were long lost sisters.

"So," I said finally when I mustered up the courage. "Do you want to come with me?"

"Where are you going?"

"I don't know, really. Anywhere. Everywhere. I'm going to seek my fortune."

She shrugged, eyes downcast. "I don't know. What if I'm a burden?"

"You won't be! I really like your company. It gets lonely on your own."

She smiled crookedly. "Okay, I'm in."

We left the next morning without saying goodbye. We set off on foot, down the same road I had come down the day before. We walked in silence, watching the birds head south in v formation. The sky was a bitter shade of blue, like ice.

Chapter 3: Snow White

We journeyed on like that for several days, catching rides from various other travelers whenever we could. We had no money, but we would do odd jobs in exchange for food and a place to sleep. And when there were no inns or diners to be found, we went hungry and stayed awake, sitting under trees when it rained and imagining warm beds and pillows filled with goose feathers.

Eventually we came to a small cottage in the middle of a forest, but when we knocked on the door no one came. We heard noises in the back, so we went around to investigate.

In the garden was a small woman holding a shovel. She had hair as black as coal, skin as white as snow, and lips red as blood. She was digging a hole, and she had stopped to wipe the sweat from her forehead.

"Can I help you?" she asked suspiciously.

"Hi," I said, holding out my hand. She didn't take it. "My name is Robin, and this is Aurora. We were wondering if you could give us a meal and a place to stay for the night."

She frowned and looked us up and down.

"Two women? Traveling together? Alone? Where are you going?"

I shrugged. "We're off to seek our destiny."

She laughed. "Destiny finds you. My name is Snow White."

"That's a weird name," said Aurora.

She smiled. "I'm a weird girl."

"What are you digging?"

"A grave." She prodded a long lumpy sheet rolled in a log.

"For who?"

With a short tug, she revealed the face of an old crone with warts and a hooked nose.

"This bitch tried to off me with a poison apple, so I smashed her over the head with a frying pan."

"Why was she trying to off you?"

She grimaced. "Rumor has it she had some mirror on her wall that told her I was the fairest of them all. And she got jealous."

I laughed. "She wasn't even close."

"Oh, this isn't her real form. This was just a disguise."

"Who was she?"

Snow stuck her shovel in the ground and leaned on it like a farmer. "She was the queen, my stepmother. Now are you gonna help me bury this bitch or not?"

"Sure, why not?"

"There are some more shovels in the shed."

So Aurora and I grabbed two shovels and got digging. The three of us worked in silence, as if it were completely natural to meet a stranger and help her bury a body in her rose garden. We finished, and Snow unceremoniously kicked the queen into the hole, and we covered it up.

"So do you live by yourself?" asked Aurora when we had gone inside for lemonade.

"Nope," said Snow, pouring three glasses. "I have seven roommates."

"Seven!" I exclaimed. "Who on earth can handle seven roommates?"

She shrugged. "It gets crowded sometimes but they're okay. You'll see."

At exactly five o'clock, there was a knocking at the door. Snow opened it and in walked seven of the shortest men I had ever seen. The tallest of them came up to Snow's navel. They wore tiny jackets and trousers in matching colors and they each carried a pick.

"It's been a long day, Snow," one wearing glasses said. Then, observing us, he asked, "Who are these lovely ladies?"

"This is Robin, and this is Aurora. They are my guests. Would you care for some lemonade?"

For dinner, the ten of us squeezed around their tiny kitchen table. We had chicken pot pie, and I thought of Adam and how he must be eating alone in that giant dining room. I wondered if he missed me. I wondered if he had replaced me with another prettier, more docile companion.

"So where are you guys going next?" Snow asked us over dessert, which was apple pie and ice cream.

"I'm not sure," said Aurora, glancing at me. "Any ideas, Robin?"

I shrugged and helped myself to another dollop of ice cream. "Onwards, I guess. Wherever that takes us."

Snow smiled through a mouthful of apple pie.

"Do you want to join us?" asked Aurora. I kicked her under the table. The last thing we needed was some murderess joining us. Naturally, she ignored me.

Snow looked at the dwarves, who were playing cards in the living room. "I'm not sure. I really like it here. I get along with them, and we take care of each other."

"Suit yourself," I said.

We slept on the couch that night, and the next morning a crowing rooster woke us up. Snow served us milk and toast for breakfast, and sent us on our way with a basket of pie, hard candies, and ham. We thanked her and left.

"She should have come with us," Aurora said, munching on a toffee. "It would have been fun."

"I doubt it," I said. "She killed the queen, for christssake. People are going to be out looking for her. She's a fugitive. We don't need that."

"That's too bad," a voice behind us said. It was Snow White. "Because I'm coming along."

I groaned. "What changed your mind? And is there any chance we can change it back?"

She laughed. "Nope. I thought about what you said about destiny, and I decided it's time for me to seek mine too. So here I am."

Aurora clapped her hands happily. "Yay! I'm so glad. It will be much more cheerful with you here."

She linked arms with the two of us, and I laughed. We were certainly a sight to see, three young women heading out into the big world on our own.

Chapter Four: Snow White and the Huntsman

We walked for what seemed like an eternity before we found a stream and stopped for a drink.

"Can't we get a horse or something?" complained Snow.

"No," I said irritably. "That would be expensive."

She stuck her tongue out at me, and proceeded to take off her clothes and step in the river. I removed my shoes and dipped my feet in the cool water.

"So how did you end up living with seven dwarves?" I asked.

"Oh, you know, dead mother, absent father, evil stepmother, hired assassin, the whole shebang," she said nonchalantly. "It's sort of a tedious story really."

"Tell it anyway," said Aurora.

"Okay," she smiled. "Well, when I was young, my mother died, and my father remarried. Unfortunately, my stepmother turned out to be a witch, and she had this magic mirror. Every morning she would wake up and ask it, 'mirror mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?' And as long as the mirror answered, 'you, your majesty, are the fairest of them all', everything was fine and dandy. But eventually, yours truly hit puberty, and the mirror told her I was the fairest of them all. So she sent this huntsman to take me out, but I ended up losing him in the forest. And then I found the dwarves, and they let me live with them. And that's it."

We nodded, impressed. Neither of us had ever met any royalty, and if she was the daughter of the queen that made her a princess. I wondered if we should start addressing her as "your highness."

Just then we heard a rustling from the bushes. I threw Snow White her cloak and called out, "Who's there?"

A tall man stepped out from the underbrush. If he did not have a psychopathic gleam in his eye, he would have been quite handsome. In one hand he held a large ax, in the other a gun.

"We meet again, princess," he said in a low growl.

"Huntsman," Snow said with a sneer of disgust. "You emerge at last. How long have you been watching, pervert?" 

"Don't flatter yourself," he snapped. "I'm here to kill you."

"I'd like to see you try," Aurora said, brandishing a large stick. Her arms trembled and I did my best not to roll my eyes. As if a branch would stop a bullet.

"This isn't personal," he assured her. And then he lifted his gun and shot Snow White straight in the heart.

Aurora and I screamed. Blood blossomed out from her chest like red tendrils. Snow stared down at her chest, and reached up as if to brush the spot away. And then she fell backwards, eyes open, mouth rounded in a soundless o.

Without a sound, the huntsman withdrew. Aurora rushed to Snow's side, and I ran into the bushes, not sure what I'd do if I found him. Certainly I was no match for a gun and an ax, but I had to try. I ran after him, my feet and heart pounding in unison. He crashed through the forest like a bull, and soon I was lost, surrounded by dense trees on all sides, every direction looking the same.

I found my way back to the stream, where Aurora had dragged Snow out of the water and covered her gently with her cloak. She was weeping softly.

"What should we do?" I asked.

She shrugged.

"Maybe I should go find the dwarves."

She nodded, sniffling.

I ran back in the direction we came from. It had taken us all morning to get to the stream, but I ran fast and purposefully, and I reached the cottage in about two hours.

The dwarves were having lunch when I pounded on the door.

"What is it?" they asked.

"It's Snow," I choked, clutching the stich in my chest. "The huntsman, he found us. He shot her. She's dead."

The seven dwarves rose in unison, alarm in their eyes. They conversed amongst themselves in low, urgent voices.

"We will bring a coffin," the smallest one said finally. "You may lead the way."

They went around to the shed and returned with a large oaken box.

"Um, why do you have coffins just lying around?"

The tallest dwarf shook his head sadly. "We knew this was going to happen, so we were prepared."

"Well, gosh, you could've given us a heads up, you know," I said irritably.

"Not so," he said. "Fate works in strange ways. Once a man encountered Death, so he fled to another city. There he met Death again, who said, 'I was surprised to see you yesterday, when I was supposed to meet you here.'"

I shrugged. "Suit yourself."

We made good time back to the stream, where Aurora was waiting, her face pale.

"That took you a while," she said accusingly.

"It took us all morning to get here. Obviously it was going to take some time for me to go back and forth."

"I was scared it was going to get dark before you found me. Or that the huntsman might come back."

"Well, he didn't, so relax. I brought the dwarves, and the dwarves brought a coffin."

She nodded. The dwarves gently took Snow into their arms and dressed her in her old clothes. They unnailed the lid to the wooden box, and took out a large glass coffin that turned out to be made of diamond. The coffin glittered in the dying sunlight.

They lifted her as if she weighed nothing and rested her gently inside the coffin, which was lined with red velvet pillows. Two dwarves went off to find flowers, which they placed at her feet and in her arms, covering the red hole in her heart. Tears streamed silently down their cheeks, and I swallowed the lump in my throat. I would not cry. I had not cried for many years and now was not the time to start.

They were about to slide the lid back on when I stopped them.

"I think," I said. "She would want to enjoy the air for a little longer."

They nodded and set the lid down next to her.

Behind me, Aurora wept noisily, snot running down her face mingling with tears. Her eyes were red and blotchy. I put my arm around her and let her cry into my shoulder. My eyes were wet but my cheeks were dry.

And so, the wake began.

Chapter 5: The Three Princes

I have never been religious, but sitting there in that quiet glen, surrounded by trees, I felt that prayer was the thing to do. I bowed my head and began to speak hesitantly to whoever was listening.

"Um, I don't know who's up there, but if you are, here goes. My friend is here, and someone just shot her for no apparent reason. We're really upset and we miss her a lot, so it would be great if you could fix this in some way. I don't ask for a lot, but just this once, I hope you'll be reasonable and undo what you've done. Thanks."

In the twilight, lightening bugs glowed in and out and birds fell silent. We watched as stars began to flicker in the night sky. Still, Snow White lay inside her coffin, unmoving, dead.

And suddenly, there was a soft flash of light and there appeared a beautiful woman dressed in a pale blue gown. She held a wand, and perched atop her head was a sparkling tiara.

"She's not dead, you know," she reassured us. "Only sleeping."

"How do we wake her up?" I asked.

"She needs the kiss of true love," she told me with a faint smile.

"True love?" I echoed incredulously. "How are we supposed to find that?"

She smiled mysteriously and began to disappear.

"Wait!" I cried. "Tell us more!"

And then she was gone.

Aurora stared at me. "What was that all about?"

"I don't know. I guess we have to go find Snow's true love."

We looked at the dwarves. "Did she say she was interested in anyone?"

They shrugged simultaneously. "We never knew about anyone."

"I guess," I said slowly. "We have to find a prince for our princess."

Aurora and I set out the next day, while the dwarves stayed behind to keep watch. The flowers had wilted, but Snow remained as fresh as ever. She was, as the fairy had told us, merely sleeping. And waiting for true love's kiss.

"Do you believe in true love?" asked Aurora as we trudged down the path.

"I don't know," I replied honestly, thinking of Adam and our kiss. "I've never been in love. Have you?"

"I thought I was," she said. "But it turned out he was not interested in me."

"Really? Someone not interested in you? But you're gorgeous."

She laughed. "Thanks, but I think he was more into men."

"Ah, nothing you can do about that," I said sympathetically. "It happens. You'll find someone else."

She smiled gratefully. "Thanks. And you?"

"Well, there was this guy," I began, not sure whether I was talking about Adam. "And I liked him a lot but it didn't work out."

"Why not?"

I shrugged. "I had to leave. I couldn't stay with him. Even though I wanted to." And even as I said it, I knew it was true.

"Do you think you'll ever go back to him?"

I shook my head. "I don't know if I'll see him again. Maybe he'll find someone else, someone better."

She took my hand in hers and pressed her thumb into my palm. "There's no one better than you."

I told her I appreciated the sentiment, and I wished there was some way I could see Adam and whatever he was up to.

When I confessed this to Aurora, her face brightened.

"Have you heard of two way mirrors?" she asked. "They show you whoever has the other mirror. There are only a few of them, though. They're rather hard to get."

"That sounds really cool," I said. "But I don't have any money, and I wouldn't know where to get one if I did. Or how to get the other one to Adam."

She nodded. "We'll figure something out." And I believed her.

By nightfall, we had reached a small village, which consisted of a main street with a couple of stores and an inn. We spoke to the innskeeper, and he agreed to let us stay free of charge for a night, in exchange for cleaning his stables. I enjoyed horses, so I didn't mind at all, but Aurora looked scared of anything larger than a chicken.

"So where are you from?" I asked, as she perched nervously on the edge of the water trough.

"I'm the illegitimate daughter of a duke," she confessed. "My mother was one of his wife's courtesans, and when his wife found out about me, she had me banished to a faraway land. I grew up in a nunnery. And then one day I was exploring the abbey when I found an old woman spinning in a tower, and, well, you know the rest."

I nodded. Bastards had a hard time of it in our land. They could not inherit property or hold government office, not that Aurora looked like she was interested in such things. Still, she was technically royalty.

"How about you? What's your story?"

I paused for a moment to brush the hair from my face. "I'm the baker's daughter. I grew up in a small town in the middle of nowhere, and I didn't know anything about anything. And then one day a beast came to our village and demanded a girl as tribute. And my father gave me up without asking any questions. I stayed with him for a while, and then I left, and here I am."

"That's kind of rough." 

I shrugged. "I guess so. But daughters are sort of a loss, economically speaking. Fathers have to pay a dowry, and then the daughter moves away anyway. It's sort of a waste, he always used to tell me."

"That's not true," she argued. "Girls are really important. Without us there wouldn't be anyone, girls or boys."

I laughed. "Well, it looks like we're done here. Let's go get a drink."

We sat at the bar and watched the inn fill slowly with all walks of life. There were a few soldiers, and I imagined Adam in their elaborate uniforms. A couple of merchants were selling their wares, and I kept an eye out for a pair of two-way mirrors. It would be so nice to see him again, I thought, if he wanted to see me at all.

I sipped my ale and pulled a grimace. It was stale and tasted like bitter milk. I was never much of a drinker, but Aurora downed hers and mine in no time flat.

"Slow down there, cowboy," I said, impressed.

She laughed. "I have lots of experience drinking." 

"I thought you grew up in an abbey."

"I did."

I tactfully declined to continue this line of questioning.

"So how do we go about finding a prince?"

"I don't know. Is there a prince conference they go to? Can we order them through a catalogue?"

"Probably not. But we can ask the inns keeper."

He laughed at us when we did. "I suppose you can go to the castle and see what you can find there," he offered, cleaning a dirty glass. "But no promises. I can't even guarantee that they'll see you."

"We have a princess who needs saving," I told him.

"A damsel in distress, eh? Well you might have some luck yet."

And so we set out the next day in the direction he recommended. As we walked, in the distance we could see spirals and flying buttresses against the steely grey sky. If we were lucky, the snow would wait until we were safely beneath a roof.

When we finally reached the castle walls, they let us in soundlessly, without a word of greeting.

"We'd like an audience with the prince," I said.

"Which one?"

"Um, all of them, I guess," I said, surprised.

There turned out to be three of them. Their names were Adrian, Idris, and Felix. They were nearly identical, but it turned out that they were born years apart. They looked to be in their early twenties, with curly brown hair and shockingly blue eyes.

"Yes? How may we help you?" asked Adrian, the oldest. He looked bored, as if strange women solicited his help every day.

"We have a friend, a princess," I began. "She's asleep, in a manner of sleeping, and it would take true love's kiss to wake her up."

"So? We don't love her, do we?" said Idris, who looked slightly more engaged than his older brother.

"No," said Aurora. "But she is the fairest of them all, and you may grow to love her once you get to know her."

"I would not be opposed to it," said Felix, a smile playing around his lips. He was the youngest, and the most enthusiastic of the three.

Adrian rolled his eyes. "My brother, you know nothing of this woman. It could be a trick. Besides, why couldn't you bring her to us if you were so desperate?"

"Because it's very difficult to carry a full grown woman," I told him patiently, although I was beginning to lose my temper. "If you will not help us, we will find nobler princes to aid us."

"No such thing," Felix assured me. "We are the noblest of the princes, and we will be happy to help you. Let us find you lodging for the night and we will leave first thing in the morning."

"We will?" said Idris.

"I will," Felix replied resolutely. "You can come if you want, Idris, but I know how you don't like to wake up before noon."

"That's not true," Idris protested. "I'll come as well."

Adrian sighed. "I suppose I'll have to come along as well, to keep you two idiots out of trouble. Very well. Get some rest, ladies. We will leave tomorrow."

Chapter Six: Snow White Rewakens

And so we set out the next morning. The princes rode horses, and I sat behind Felix, and Aurora behind Idris. Adrian rode alone. I could feel the arrogance wafting off him like heat.

"So tell me more about this Snow White," said Felix.

"Well, she's a princess. She has hair as black as coal, lips red as blood, and skin as white as snow. She's very clever, and she makes a mean apple pie."

"Sounds lovely," he replied.

"She is. You'll see."

"So how are we doing this?" asked Idris. "We can't all be her true love. Are we supposed to take turns?"

"I guess so," Adrian said, sounding bored as ever. "I'll go first, and then Idris, and then Felix. If it works at all."

"I hope it's you," I whispered to Felix. He smiled.

We reached Snow's resting place late into the evening, when the moon was rising like a silver slipper over the treetops, and the sun was sinking into the west, bloodying the river a deep wine red.

"She is beautiful," exclaimed Felix.

"I've seen better," said Adrian.

The three princes, Aurora and I dismounted. The dwarves had placed fresh flowers into her arms. She looked as pretty as she had when we left. Indeed, the fairy had told the truth. She was merely sleeping.

Adrian approached her, and knelt down beside her. He stroked her hair with a gentleness I had not believed he was capable of. And then he leaned down and kissed her softly on the lips.

Nothing.

"Bad luck, mate," said Felix gleefully. "Better luck next time." Adrian scowled.

Idris knelt in Adrian's place. He too leaned down and gently pressed his lips against hers.

Nothing.

"Your turn," said Idris, clapping a hand on Felix's shoulder. "Good luck, brother."

Felix knelt and took Snow's hand in his. He brought it to his lips and kissed it softly.

"Pleased to make your acquaintance, my lady," he said politely. "I hope you don't mind giving me a kiss."

"Get to it," grumbled Adrian. "We don't have all day."

Felix ignored him. "Well, here goes nothing." And he leaned forward and kissed Snow White on her blood red lips.

Nothing.

And then, almost imperceptibly, her eyelashes began to flutter. Her breaths grew deeper, and the faintest hint of color began to fill her cheeks. And then, just like that, she sat up and looked around.

"Where am I?" she asked. "What happened?"

Aurora squealed and rushed forward to throw her arms around Snow.

"You're back!" she exclaimed, burying her face in Snow's hair.

"Was I gone?" asked Snow, puzzled. "What's going on? Who are these people?"

Felix gave a deep bow. "My name is Felix, and I am at your service."

"He's your true love," I added. "He just kissed you and woke you from your slumber."

Snow looked confused. "But I don't even know you. How can you be my true love?" 

Felix shrugged. "I'm not complaining. How about I take you out a few times, and we can see where it goes from there?"

Snow nodded. "I'd like to get out of this coffin first, honestly."

Felix took her hand, grabbed her by the waist and lifted her gracefully to her feet. The dwarves gathered around her happily, hugging her knees and pressing kisses on her hands. She laughed and kissed them one by one.

Idris and Adrian bowed to Snow and introduced themselves. She looked pleasantly surprised by their generosity. I was impressed at Adrian's graciousness. He had not made any sarcastic comments yet. A new record.

"So, where to now?" Snow asked. "I'm starving."

The three brothers looked at one another. "Well, we could take you back to the castle, but that is quite a ride. Or we could find an inn nearby and grab a bite to eat there."

"Sounds like a plan," said Snow.

This time Snow rode with Felix and I was left with Adrian. We rode in silence, but I could hear Snow and Felix laughing behind us. I felt a twinge of jealousy, but then I remember that I was in love with Adam, and Felix was Snow's true love.

Chapter Seven: Cinderella

By the time we returned to the castle, the kingdom was full of commotion. There was to be a ball for a neighboring king and his son, Prince James. If everything went well, James would choose a lucky lady to accompany him home and be his princess, thus sealing the fates of the neighboring kingdoms.

Meanwhile, Snow had been eating ravenously, which was understandable because she had been asleep for several days. Felix stayed by her side like a devoted lap puppy. Aurora and I made gagging noises every time their backs were turned.

I decided to explore the castle for myself, so I left Aurora with the new couple, and quickly found myself lost in a maze of endless tunnels and corridors.

Somehow, I ended up in the laundry room, where one lonely washerwoman was in charge of piles upon piles of dirty sheets and clothes. She had coppery colored skin, dark almond shaped eyes, and thick curly hair that she wore in a tight bun.

"Hi," I said. "How's it going?"

She groaned good naturally. "Don't tell me you've got more stuff for me to do."

"Not at all. I was just exploring. Do you need help? You look like you could use a hand."

"Sure! You must be a godsend. I just need help folding right now, and then I can take my lunch break."

We worked in comfortable silence for a while. It was nice to have something to do with my hands again. I remembered when I lived with my father he would make me scrub our dirty clothes in the freezing river first thing in the morning. Adam, though, always had various servants to do his laundry and mine.

"So what's your name?" I asked when we paused for a drink of water.

"My name is Ella, but most people call me Cinderella."

"That's pretty. My name is Belle, but most people call me Robin."

"Nice to meet you. What brings you to our humble kingdom?"

I told her about Snow White and how Felix had kissed her back to life.

"True love's kiss, huh?" she nodded sagely. "That solves a lot of problems, I've heard."

"Do you have a true love?"

She laughed. "No, but I've had plenty of false ones."

"Oh really?"

"Shhh. The gossip machine in this place is out of control."

"So are you going to this ball they're having in the prince's honor?"

She shook her head. "Nah, that's not really my scene."

"Why not? It could be fun."

"I'm not royalty. And I don't have a dress or any of that fancy stuff."

"What if we found you a dress?" I wheedled. "What if we got you a gorgeous ballgown and did your hair and all that stuff?"

"Well, maybe. Only if you went with me though."

"Absolutely," I promised. And so I set about scouring the castle for a beautiful dress.

Eventually I found what must have been the queen's old wardrobe when she was much younger. I found a pale gold dress with a modest neckline and an open back. It fit me perfectly. I figured I could wear moccasins beneath and no one would notice. For Aurora, there was a beautiful blue gown with a V shaped front and gold and pink embroidery all down the front. Snow White would do very well in a white peasant dress with blue and yellow stitching. And for Cinderella –

I rifled through dress after dress but nothing seemed right. Sure, there were beautiful emerald dresses and purple gowns and silver skirts, but none of them would fit her beautiful curvy figure and complement her bronze complexion. Nothing, except. And then I saw it, the very last dress in the wardrobe.

It hung long and sleek, red as rubies and just as radiant. It was a simple design, but the fabric seemed to glow and shimmer with a life of its own. I grabbed all four dresses and rushed to find my friends.

I found Cinderella in the laundry room, grabbed her by the hand and pulled her, laughing, all the way to the room where Snow, Aurora and I were staying.

"This is Cinderella," I said breathlessly. "I found us all dresses, and we're all going to the ball together tonight."

My three friends gathered around to admire the dresses I'd found. Aurora slipped into her blue gown, as did Snow. Only Cinderella stood staring openmouthed at the dress I'd chosen for her.

"Um, is something wrong?" I asked.

"No! It's just, I've never worn such a nice dress before." She looked at the red dress wistfully.

"No time like the present," laughed Snow, and she wrestled Cinderella to the bed, and pulled the dress over her head.

We stepped back, and gasped.

The red dress flowed perfectly over Cinderella's voluptuous curves, and the luminescent fabric seemed to make her coppery skin glow. The plunging neckline stopped just above her generous cleavage, and the back of the dress opened to reveal her flawless skin. She looked stunning.

"Well, that settles it," Aurora said finally. "I know what she's wearing tonight."

"Oh, guys, I really can't," Cinderella said, shaking her head. "I have so much work to do, and besides, I don't have any shoes."

"That won't be a problem," a foreign voice said from behind us. We turned in surprise, to see the fairy that had spoken to me at Snow White's wake.

"You!" I exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm her fairy godmother," she answered, nodding at Cinderella.

"Then why were you the one who told me about Snow?"

She shrugged. "I take odd jobs here and there." She turned to Cinderella. "Now, you, my dear girl, what you need is shoes."

And with a dramatic flourish, she conjured up a pair of glass slippers. They looked like any regular pair of heels, but they were made of pure glass. They glittered in her hands like diamonds.

"Go on, honey," she urged. "Try them on."

Stunned, Cinderella took the shoes and slipped them over her feet. They were a perfect fit. As she walked around the room, they bent and curved with her step.

"They're perfect," she breathed.

"They're yours," the fairy said with a smile.

Chapter Eight: The Ball

It turned out that Cinderella was an expert at doing hair. Even my mousy brown rat's nest turned into a graceful, sleek bun at the nape of my neck. Snow White found us all necklaces and earrings to finish off our looks. I was fairly useless, trying to figure out how Aurora's eyeliner and mascara worked. But in the end, we all looked beautiful.

The ball was a masquerade, so we each donned black masks to cover our faces. Aurora looked especially stunning, with her thick golden mane and piercing blue eyes.

We arrived around ten. I tended to gravitate to the walls, like some lizard that didn't really belong. But Aurora and Snow were immediately snatched up by some adoring suitors. I wondered what Felix would think of that, but he seemed to be elsewhere, chatting up some distinguished looking statesman.

Cinderella, on the other hand, was dancing gracefully with another masked gentleman with bright red hair. He had his hand on her waist, but it looked like they barely touched as he spun her left and right. They were easily the most talented couple on the floor, as other dancers stopped to form a circle and watch. They finished with a flourish, and Cinderella came over to me, breathless and laughing.

"Robin," she said breathily. "Meet James."

James gave me a deep bow, and pressed his lips politely against my fingers.

"Hello James," I said. "You wouldn't happen to be THE prince James, would you?"

He winked at me. "For tonight, I will be anyone you ladies want me to be."

Cinderella laughed and tugged him back into the crowd. I went to the drinks table and poured myself a glass of wine. A middle-aged gentleman was sitting by himself at a table, and I went to join him.

"Hello sir," I said politely. "Do you mind if I sit here?"

"Not at all," he said in a gravely voice. "But shouldn't you be out there dancing?"

I shook my head. "I'm afraid I'm not a very adept dancer."

"I'm sure there is a gentleman out there somewhere waiting to prove you wrong."

I laughed. "So what do you do?"

He spread his hands. "I am a humble trader. I bring wares from far and wide to this noble kingdom, hoping they will bring joy to the people who find them."

"Really?" I asked, interested. "Perhaps you can help me then."

"I am at your service, my lady."

"Well," I said, lowering my voice. "I have heard that there are two-way mirrors that let you communicate with another person across great distances." 

"Certainly," he answered. "They are rare, but it just so happens that I have a pair in my possession."

"Really?" I asked. "You could show me?"

"I could indeed. But it may cost you."

"Oh," my face fell. "I don't have any money."

"Not money, but a promise. You will owe me a favor."

"What sort of favor?" I asked suspiciously.

He shrugged. "We shall meet again and work it out then."

"That's it? A favor? And I get the mirrors?"

"That's right. Well, a favor, and one more thing."

"What is it?"

He stood and held out a hand. "Will you join me for a dance?"

And so I joined him for a waltz. He was a graceful partner, although he seemed to dance with a limp.

"What's your name?" I asked as he spun me around.

"Hm, that is a piece of information I do not give out freely," he said.

"What do you want this time?"

"Ah, just a kiss."

I laughed nervously. This was not going in directions I was comfortable with. But he merely brushed his lips against my cheek, and we bowed as the dance came to a close.

"Rumplestiltskin, at your service," he said with a sweeping bow.

"What a strange name!" I exclaimed.

He chuckled. "There are a good deal many things that are strange about me, my dear. Least of all my name."

"Will you show me the mirrors?" I asked.

"Certainly. All in good time. And your name is?"

"Robin," I answered.

"Robin," he said, as if he were tasting my name. "A good name. But a boy's name, I believe?"

I shrugged. "I've been told I have a boy's spirit."

He rubbed his hands and licked his lips, like a praying mantis. I wanted to get the mirrors and leave his company as soon as I could.

"Um, the mirrors, sir?"

"Of course," he bowed at the door. "Just follow me."

I followed him out the door to a balcony, where there was a small stone bench. Under the bench was a suitcase, and inside the suitcase were two mirrors.

"How did you know to bring your mirrors?" I asked curiously.

He smiled. "I had a feeling."

He handed me one of the mirrors and took the other.

"Scry for me," he commanded. My mirror began to emit a gentle glow, as did his. And then I saw his face through the mist inside my mirror. I gasped and almost dropped it.

"Careful now," he told me. "You wouldn't want to break one."

"That's amazing," I said. "And they're mine?"

He handed me his mirror. "They are yours."

And just then, the clock began to strike twelve.

Chapter Nine: Maleficent Revenge

As the clock struck twelve, there was a flash of light inside. I pocketed the mirrors and pushed my way through the frenzied crowd to see what the commotion was all about.

Inside, at the center of the ballroom, there appeared a tall, horned woman in a dark cloak. Her skin was an emerald shade of green, and her long black hair hung in thick braids down her black. On her shoulder sat an evil looking raven.

"So, this is the sort of party I don't get invited to," she said sneeringly at the king, who looked outraged.

"Begone, evil beast," he commanded. "You have no power here."

"I beg to differ," she said in a bored voice. "You will find that I have plenty of power here."

She snapped her fingers, and all of the lights went out, except for the eerie green light emanating from her staff.

"I think some…punishment is in order," she said sweetly. "Because I was so rudely overlooked when you sent out invitations for this happy affair."

"Gee, I wonder why," said someone sarcastically. It was Cinderella, her arms crossed over her chest.

"You!" the witch snapped. "What are you doing here?"

"I'd ask the same of you, Maleficent," she replied, unafraid.

Maleficent turned to her and smiled. "I like a girl with attitude. And who is this gentleman?"

James stepped in front of Cinderella. "You'll do no harm here, foul beast," he told her.

Maleficent feigned surprise. "Foul beast! Why, if I didn't know better, I'd say you were trying to hurt my feelings!"

"You don't have feelings," said James bravely.

Maleficent threw her head back and laughed. "My poor, poor child. You don't know me."

She lifted her hands and brought them down swiftly. There was a crack of lightening, a roll of thunder, and James was on his knees, rocking back and forth in pain. Cinderella screamed and dropped to the ground to help him. James threw an arm out, shielding her from the cackling Maleficent.

"Now the fun begins," she crowed. She pointed her staff at Cinderella, and with a bright flash of light, both of them disappeared.

"No!" cried James. "Where is she? Cinderella!"

He turned in helpless circles, reaching out with his hands. Along with Cinderella, Maleficent had taken his sight. All that was left of his partner was a single glass slipper.

The next morning the king convened an informal meeting, which Aurora dragged me to. We stole toast from the kitchens and munched on it surreptitiously while listening to the tense proceedings.

"What is the meaning of this barbarism?" demanded King Philip, James' father.

"Maleficent has long been an enemy of our kingdom," said Adrian. "Many a good man has died trying to kill her, but the best we could do was banish her into the mountains."

"Where is Cinderella?" asked James. "Is that where she's taken her?"

Adrian shrugged. "I have no idea. Cinderella could be anywhere. She could be dead for all we know."

James shook his head. "I'd know if she were."

"You met her for two hours last night," said Felix. "Are you all that attached already?"

"She's the love of my life," said James resolutely. "I will search for her to the ends of the earth."

"No need," said Idris, looking out the window. "There's a line a mile long of girls claiming to be Cinderella. I hope you remember what her voice sounds like."

And so the ordeal began. We split them into three lines, with me and Aurora evaluating one group, and James and Adrian another, and Snow and Felix the last. Each girl claimed to be Cinderella, although many of them were not even black.

"This is useless," I declared, after the hundredth girl left disappointed. "We don't even know if she came back."

"Of course she will come back," said James decidedly. "Why wouldn't she?"

I threw up my hands in frustration. Idris came to relieve me of my post, and I wandered back to my room, wondering if I went back to sleep if this nightmare would disappear. On a whim, I decided to go to the laundry room instead.

And there she was, Cinderella, in a dirty brown dress, folding clothes.

"You know the entire kingdom is looking for you, right?" I asked her by way of greeting.

"I know," she said, not looking too pleased to see me. "But they don't even know me. I'm just a lowly servant. James deserves so much better."

"Oh Cinderella," I sighed. "Don't you want to be something more than a servant? James is infatuated with you. You could be queen if you wanted."

She shook her head. "I couldn't. I'm no one. I've always been no one. Life doesn't work like that."

"But don't you want to try?"

She shook a dirty towel at me. "I'm afraid."

I took her hand. "Me too. But you can't run forever."

And I took her back to her prince.

"James?" she whispered. "It's me, Cinderella."

"Another one?" said James, exhausted. "Prove it."

Cinderella slipped a hand into her pocket, pulled out the glass slipper, and placed it gently in James' hand.

James' face lit up as he stood and announced, "We've found her! Here she is! Cinderella!"

And when they kissed the entire kingdom looked away with an embarrassed smile.

Chapter Ten: The Griffin and the Mirror

I lay listlessly in my bed, staring at my mirror and turning it back and forth in my hand. What would it be like to see Adam again? Would it be hard to be able to talk to him but still be so far away?

And then there was the question of how to get the mirror to Adam anyway. I had no idea where I was in relation to the palace, or who could take it to him free of charge. Going back myself was out of the question.

"Why not try a griffin?" offered Cinderella when I voiced my concerns. "They are really good at finding places, and they're very reliable and noble too."

"Where am I supposed to find one of those?"

"I've heard that, to summon a griffin, all you have to do is place a drop of your own blood in a bowl of milk, and set it out in a west facing window."

"How on earth do you know these things?"

Cinderella shrugged. "My mother used to tell me stuff."

"What's she like?"

"Dead, mostly." She picked at a spot on her dress, not meeting my eyes. "She died when I was seven. My father married again and the new stepmother hates me. She's the one who sent me to live in the palace as a servant."

"Aren't you glad you did though? Now you get to marry James and be a queen."

She laughed. "I don't know. We're just taking it slow now. He's taking me to a concert later tonight."

I nodded, impressed. "Well, nice talking to you. I'm off to find a bowl of milk and a west facing window."

My bedroom, it turned out, had such a window, and stealing a bowl of milk was no problem at all. I took out my handy knife and made a nick in my thumb, and squeezed it into the bowl. The drop of blood blossomed in the creamy milk, and then dissipated. I placed the bowl on the window, and waited.

It was dark and I had half fallen asleep when there was a rustling outside, and I saw a large creature perched on my windowsill, lapping hungrily at the milk.

"Hello," I said politely. "Are you a griffin?"

The creature rustled its feathers and nodded gravely.

"Well, I need you to deliver something. Do you think you could manage that?"

He nodded again and squawked softly.

"Okay, well, I'm not sure where exactly it is, but there is a beast named Adam who lives in a castle far away. Do you know him?"

The griffin gave another squawk of assent.

"Well, could you take this mirror to him? It's a two-way mirror, so you need to be very careful with it. But I would be very grateful to you if you did."

The griffin nodded, and nudged my hand with its scaly beak. I laughed and scratched its forehead. I took a piece of twine and tied the mirror, which I'd placed carefully in a paper package, to his claw. I gave the griffin a light kiss on the beak.

"Go then," I told it. "Bring him my love."

I watched it stretch its large wings and leap off the window, soaring gracefully into the sunset. I wondered how long it would take to reach Adam, and whether Adam would know what the mirror was. Perhaps I would spend the next couple of days cooped up here in my room, gazing hopefully into my mirror.

But, as it turned out, there were banquets to go to, most of which were held in James' honor, and Snow White and Felix wanted to announce their engagement.

"They do realize that they've just met about three days ago, right?" Aurora said.

I shrugged. "I guess when you've met the love of your life you can't wait to start the rest of their life with them. And besides, it's not like they've set a date for their wedding. They're just letting everyone know they're engaged."

"Please," Aurora scoffed. "You can't honestly believe they know anything about each other."

"I mean, he did save her life by giving her the kiss of true love, so that's something."

"Whatever," she said grumpily. "I'll give them two weeks."

I raised my eyebrows at her. "What's eating you?"

"Nothing," she snapped. "I'm just sick of all this lovey dovey nonsense everyone is getting caught up in."

I laughed. "Don't worry, you'll find someone. Besides, hasn't Idris been looking at you lately?"

She groaned. "He looks at everyone, the perv."

"Well, what about Adrian then?"

"Adrian is in love with his own reflection. Good thing he has servants or he might starve while staring at himself."

"Truth," I agreed. "But he's not bad looking."

Aurora gaped at me. "You think I'm shallow!"

"I do not," I argued. "But it's a start, right? You wouldn't want to marry someone hideous, would you?"

"Well, maybe if I loved him."

I laughed and thought of Adam. I wondered if I were the beast, if he would love me back.

"So you found your two-way mirror, then?" asked Aurora, laying belly down on the bed.

I told her about the milk and the griffin, and she shuddered.

"They're supposed to be really unlucky, you know."

"I didn't," I said. "Besides, I didn't know you were superstitious."

"I'm not," she said. "But it's just something everyone knows. They carry it with them, in their wings or something."

"Well, if something bad happens, we'll know why."

Aurora went to the window and leaned out. "Look, it's Snow and Felix!"

Sure enough, the happy couple was passing just beneath our window. Snow wore a thin green dress, and Felix was in his royal tunic as usual. Aurora lifted our water pitcher.

"Are you sure?" I began. But she had already begun to pour.

There was a splash and a cry of outrage from below.

"Oops!" called Aurora. "My hand slipped! Hope this doesn't ruin your evening!"

She closed the window and made a face at me. "I lied," she said conspiratorially. "I hope it does ruin their evening."

Chapter Eleven: The Beast in the Mirror

I stayed in my room for the next couple of days, having servants bring my meals in rather than go eat with the rest of our party. Aurora was right; the surplus of love and romance was starting to grate on my nerves, and I just needed some time to myself, to reflect.

I thought of my brother Robin, my twin, my other half. I thought about playing with him beside that river, the way we would build sand castles and pretend to be kings and queens, ruling over our pebble peasants. I thought about how handsome he would be if he were still alive, and how all the girls in our village would fawn over him. Before his death, there were already some girls who made doe eyes at him, but he would laugh them away and joke with me about them afterwards.

Sometimes I would talk out loud to him, but I had not done that in a while, surrounded by the other girls as I was. And it didn't feel right, in any case, to keep talking to him. It felt like I was going backwards.

And then, suddenly, my mirror began to glow. Looking into it, there seemed to be a green mist swirling in its depth, as if I could reach in and pull myself through. But then the mist began to clear, and, out of nowhere, there he was, Adam, my prince.

"Adam!" I exclaimed. "Can you hear me?"

"Robin?" he said. "Is that you? How did you get these? They are really rare."

"I met a trader named Rumplestiltskin and he gave it to me in exchange for a dance and a favor."

"What kind of favor?"

"I don't know. I guess we'll find out if I ever run into him again."

"Well, watch out. If he can afford to give you a pair of two way mirrors he must be a powerful person."

I laughed. "How are you doing?"

"I miss you," he told me seriously. "Will you come back soon?"

"I miss you too," I replied. "But I don't think I can do that right now. Two of my friends are about to get married, I think."

"Oh?" he said. "Tell me about your new friends."

I told him about meeting Aurora and Snow, and Cinderella's dress and her glass slipper. I told him about Rumplestiltskin, Malificent, and the griffin.

"So that's what that thing was," he said, interested. "I was wondering what I should feed it."

"Yeah, but Aurora says they are bad luck."

He laughed. "I make my own luck. You know that."

I smiled. "Have you found a new companion yet?"

"I think you know that you are irreplaceable."

"Good," I told him.

"And you? Have you found a new lover?"

"No," I said. "But there's always time."

He laughed again, and the warm barking sound was my favorite sound in the world.

"Anything new on your end?" I asked.

"Sadly no," he said. "But no news is good news, right?"

"I guess so," I replied. "But it does make for boring conversation."

"So you met a fairy and a witch, eh?" he asked. "What was that like?"

"It was interesting. I wasn't expecting to see the same fairy that told me about Snow. How many do you think there are?"

"Well, there used to be quite a few, but then the king had a lot of them rounded up and executed. Malificent was one of the ones that got away. She used to be very popular, actually."

"I suppose watching your friends and family be systematically murdered off might make anyone quite angry."

He nodded. "But the one you have to look out for, I hear, is called Ursula. She's a real piece of work. If you ever meet her, get out of there fast."

"Really now? What's she like?"

"Well, she was the reason the king started killing fairies in the first place. She came to the christening of one of his first children, and she cursed his daughter."

"Really? What was the curse?"

"It wasn't really a curse, to be honest. Just that the girl grow up to be a strong, independent thinker. But the king was furious. He wanted a docile princess who followed orders."

"That seems boring."

Adam laughed again. "Yes, well, the princess was locked up in a high tower, guarded by a dragon, of course. So a fat lot of good her independent thinking did there."

"How could he do that to his own daughter?" I wondered.

He shrugged. "I'm rarely surprised at what parents are capable of doing to their own children."

"If I ever have kids," I said decidedly. "I'm going to make sure they are smart, compassionate and independent."

"Just like their mother, eh?" he gave me a wicked grin.

"I'll take that as a compliment," I told him.

"You should," he replied. "Few people are. What are your plans now anyway?"

"I don't know," I said. "I guess I'll go to Snow and Cinderella's wedding, and play it by ear from there."

"What do I have to do to get you to come back to me?"

I laughed. "Do you think you will be fine on your own for a while?"

He sighed. "I suppose I can manage. Can I at least meet your friends?"

"Sure," I said. "Let me go find them."

And so I left my room and ran through the palace, looking in doors here and there for my friends.

I finally found them in a room with a crackling fireplace, sitting on couches and sipping hot chocolate.

"Would you like to meet Adam?" I asked.

"The recluse finally joins us!" exclaimed Snow. "Of course, I'd love to meet your friend."

I passed the mirror around, and each of my friends introduced themselves. Adam looked delighted at the company and the chance to talk to such a diverse group. I curled up on a couch like a cat and closed my eyes in sleepy contentment.

Chapter Eleven: Gaston

I spent the days leading up to Snow White's wedding with a sinking feeling in my stomach. Perhaps sending the griffin had been a mistake. Perhaps I should have just gone myself. It would have been good to see Adam in person again.

"Well, why don't you just go then?" said Aurora, irritated, the eleventh time I checked the mirror. "If it's bothering you so much, you should just leave. You'll be back for the wedding. It's not for another month, after all."

"I don't know," I said moodily. "It's just a feeling. There's nothing to substantiate that anything is wrong. I'm probably just being irrational."

She rolled her eyes. "The world is pretty irrational. Maybe you should follow your instincts."

"How am I supposed to find my way back alone?" I demanded. "I don't figure you want to go with me, do you?"

Aurora looked up, interested. "I could be up for that. Anything is better than being cooped up in this miserable palace."

I laughed. "You should see where Adam lives, then."

She threw a pillow at me playfully. "We can talk to Snow about it tonight and leave first thing tomorrow."

We told Snow about our plans over dinner.

She frowned. "Do you have any reason to believe that something's wrong?"

"No," I said impatiently. "It's just a feeling. I don't know why, but I feel like I need to be there."

She looked at Felix, who shrugged. "It's her call."

"Well," she said defeatedly. "I guess I can't stop you."

"No, you can't," I said. "I was just being polite."

"And you, Aurora?" she asked. "Are you going with her."

Aurora nodded.

"When will you guys be back?" she asked.

"I don't know," I said. "Whenever we sort out whatever is going on with Adam."

"Well, you might as well bring him to the wedding," said Snow. "It'll be nice to meet him in person."

"He'll like that. I'll let him know."

And so the next morning Aurora and I set off on two magnificent horses. Snow and Cinderella woke up early to see us off. Snow hugged me close.

"Come back safe," she told me, handing me a package. Inside was a beautifully carved bow and quiver of arrows.

"That's for Aurora," she said. "She's been practicing. This is for you."

She gave me a sheath, out of which I slid the most wonderful sword I had ever seen. Vines had been carved into the gleaming steel, and the handle fit my hand as if it was especially made for me.

"This is amazing," I told her, feeling the weight of the sword in my hand. "I don't know how to thank you."

She smiled. "Come back in time for my wedding."

"I will," I promised. And then Aurora and I mounted our steeds and set off.

We rode without speaking for a while, until noon, when the sun beat down on our shoulders and beads of sweat gathered on our necks and breasts.

"I wish women could go around shirtless," Aurora complained.

"You could," I told her. "There's no one around."

"You're around," she teased.

I laughed. "I've got breasts too!"

"You could've fooled me."

I threw a stick at her, which she easily dodged.

In the afternoon we stopped at a stream for a drink and to rest the horses. I checked our compass to make sure that we were heading east.

"How long do you think it will take to get there?" she asked.

"Well, on horse, maybe two days? I don't know."

"We're making good time. Maybe we'll make it in time for dinner tomorrow."

"One can hope."

We spent the night at an inn. Once again, Aurora impressed our fellow barflies by out drinking even the most hardened sailor.

"Where are you ladies headed, then?" the grizzled bartender asked.

"East," I told him shortly.

He nodded wisely. "Did you hear there's a beast out thataways. You might want to be careful."

"A beast?" I said, frowning. "What sort of beast?"

"A hideous beast," he told us. "He used to be a prince before a fairy cursed him and took away his good looks and humanity."

I opened my mouth to argue but Aurora kicked me under the table.

"Is he far?" she asked loudly.

The bartender shrugged. "Perhaps another day by horse. But if you're lucky the mob will get there first and you won't have to worry."

"A mob?" I tried to keep my voice calm. "What mob?"

"You know, the kind with torches and pitchforks."

"Why? What has he done?"

The bartender shrugged again. "He exists, I guess. Who knows? You might have some luck asking around for Gaston. He's the one in charge of all this."

"Who's Gaston and what does he want with the beast?"

"He's an aspiring knight on a mission. Rumor has it the beast has kidnapped a lady in his castle and keeps her there as his slave."

"Says who?" I demanded.

"Says some baker," the bartender replied. "Says his daughter was captured by the beast. Says he wants her back."

I felt my face growing red with rage. Aurora shot me a quick look.

"Well, thanks for the drinks, sir," she said. "We better be going to sleep now if we want a head start in the morning." She pulled me from the bar and dragged me to our room.

"We should leave _now_!" I said hotly, jerking my arm free. "Who knows how close the mob is? We have to warn him right away."

"And do what?" she demanded. "Are you going to fight a mob with your sword? There's nothing we can do right now. Might as well get some rest so we're ready in the morning."

Aurora pulled off her dress and climbed into bed, falling asleep instantly. I was not so lucky. I lay there, eyes closed or open I was not sure, dreaming of torches and a beast who was very alone.

Chapter Thirteen: The mob

I woke up from a night of uncertain nightmares and running through something thick and viscous. Aurora had already packed our bags, and had replaced her dress with some britches and a forest green tunic.

"Good morning, sleeping beauty," she greeted me, throwing me a piece of buttered toast. I crammed it in my mouth and pulled on my own tunic and trousers.

Within five minutes, we were back on the road, yawning and wiping the sleep from our eyes. The birds filled the air with chirping, and the sun peeked over the tops of the trees, a bright margarine yellow.

Around midday we stopped to drink from our skins and rest the horses, who were starting to foam at the mouth. Our legs were sore and chafed from the riding, but I could have run all the way back if I had to.

"You're not drinking enough," Aurora observed as she took another swig.

"I'm not thirsty," I replied.

"You need to stay hydrated," she told me. I rolled my eyes and drank deeply.

We rode nonstop for the rest of the afternoon, long after the crickets began to chirp and the sky turned a deep velvety purple. I galloped single-mindedly into the darkness, thinking only of Adam and the mob.

It must have been close to midnight when we heard shouts before us, and saw the bright orange flames of torches crackling in the darkness. My heart sank, and Aurora drew up close to me and placed her hand over my mouth.

"Be very quiet," she whispered.

We dismounted, tying our horses to a tree. Silent in our soft moccasins, we slipped between the trees, trying to get a better look. What we saw next made me fold over and vomit all over the ground.

They had captured Adam and chained him up, his hands behind his back. There was a large metal collar around his neck, and fetters over his ankles. His wounds were fresh and bleeding, and his shoulders were hutched in utter defeat. Thick ropes had been thrown over him, pinning his arms to his sides. They led him by the chain around his neck, and people around him held him by ropes.

"We're too late," Aurora whispered. "Where are they taking him?"

I shook my head and spat, my head spinning. I wanted to sit down, but Aurora held me up.

"We should follow them," she said. "Can you walk?"

I closed my eyes until the world stopped spinning, and nodded. We held hands and ran quietly through the forest, following the mob. They were cheering and yelling like savages, and every once in a while, someone would throw a rock at Adam's head, and it would hit him, and he would stumble, and someone would jerk on his chain until he doubled over, coughing.

"They're the real beasts," I muttered as we stopped behind a tree to catch our breaths. "They're the real animals."

Aurora nodded, and placed a finger over my lips to indicate that we should be quiet.

We followed the mob to a tall tower. The leader of the mob, a large, beefy looking man with dark hair and enormous biceps, raised his torch and yelled, "To the dungeon! Chain him up in the cellar."

"That must be Gaston," said Aurora. I nodded, still feeling sick.

The mob descended into the tower, and we were left outside in the cool darkness. Above us stars twinkled merrily as if they were not also witnesses to this barbaric cruelty.

"What should we do?" I asked Aurora.

"We should wait," she said. "The mob has to go home eventually, and when they do we can go in and save him."

"But they could be killing him right now," I said, suddenly extremely tired. "And he could be chained up, and they could have people guarding him."

She shrugged. "You've got a sword, don't you? And I have my arrows. We'll give them a fight to remember."

I sat down, leaning against a tree. I hugged my knees to my chest and closed my eyes.

Aurora wrapped an arm around me. "Rest right now," she said. "I'll wake you if they come out."

To my great surprise, I fell asleep almost instantly.

It felt like I had only closed my eyes when Aurora was shaking me awake again.

"They've just left," she whispered urgently. "Now's our chance."

As the flickering light of the torches slowly faded, we ran up to the tower, which was locked by a large padlock.

"I knew this would come in handy," she whispered, plucking a hairpin from her ear and using it to pick open the lock.

"Where did you learn that?" I asked, impressed.

She shrugged. "The abbey teaches you strange life skills."

The inside of the tower was damp and dark, and we pressed our hands to the cold stone walls as we waited for our eyes to adjust. Eventually, we could see a stair to our left that led down into the dungeons.

"They've taken him down there," I whispered. Aurora nodded, and we made our ways carefully down the stairs.

There was one cell in the basement, with a thick oak door with only a small barred window. A single torch lit the corridor, at the end of which one guard patrolled, sword in hand.

"What's the plan?" asked Aurora.

"I don't have one," I replied.

And with that, I drew my sword and charged.

I'd almost reached the guard when he realized what was happening, and raised his sword to block mine at the last minute. I had surprise on my side, but he was easily a hundred pounds heavier, and much more experienced in swords craft. I held the offensive for about a minute, raining blows down on him, before he turned the tide and began striking back. Each blow seemed to shake me to my very core, and my arms began to tire.

With a twisting blow, he knocked my sword out of my hands and across the corridor.

"Any last words, little lady?" he sneered, the cold tip of his sword pressing against my throat.

A zipping noise cut through the air, and the guard looked down in surprise to see an arrow sprouting from his chest. There was another zip, and a second one emerged from his throat. He opened and closed his mouth like a stunned fish before collapsing, his blood spilling dark like wine over the dungeon stones.

Chapter Fourteen: Escape

I stared at the guard heaving his last breaths before me. Aurora ran up and pulled me to my feet.

"Are you alright?" she asked, wide eyed.

"You just killed someone," I said hoarsely. "Are _you_ alright?"

She shrugged. "Not my first. Come on, get the keys."

I scrambled to remove the keys from the guard's belt, my fingers trembling. We unlocked the door and pushed it open with a loud creak.

Inside, chained to the wall with his hands over his head, lay Adam slumped in a corner. We were struck by the stench of blood and feces. I rushed over to his side. Aurora took the keys from me and set about unlocking his fetters.

"Are you alright?" I asked, shaking his shoulders gently.

He groaned, his head lolling limply left and right.

"Got it," said Aurora, as the chains fell to the ground with a clink.

"Help me get him up," I said, grabbing Adam by the arms. Aurora took him by the front and we managed to get him upright, leaning heavily on me. My knees shook, and I felt like I might collapse under his weight.

Somehow, we got him up those stairs, and by the time we had reached the door he had begun to come to, and he could support himself on his own two feet.

Aurora peeked out of the door first to check for any straggling townsfolk, and then she waved for us to follow quickly. We made our way into the woods as fast as we could, with Adam limping and wincing with each step.

We had gone about fifteen minutes before Aurora deemed it safe to stop and rest. We propped Adam against a tree, and I gave him my water skin to drink from.

He swallowed a mouthful and coughed. "You came back. You shouldn't have come back."

"Shut up," I said decidedly. "We're gonna get you out of here, and then we're going to Snow White's wedding. So be quiet and let's go when you're ready."

There was a rustling in the bushes behind us, and Aurora quickly notched an arrow in her bow.

"Who's there?" she demanded.

A tall man emerged from the bushes. A long sword hung by his side, and his eyes were an icy steely grey.

"Gaston," I said coldly. "What do you want?"

He smiled condescendingly. "You've got my prisoner, I believe."

"He's not your prisoner. He hasn't done anything wrong."

He laughed. "Just look at him! He's an animal. He deserves to be in chains, or in a circus."

Adam pushed himself to his feet, wincing. He braced himself gingerly against the tree and held out an arm in front of me.

"Your quarrel is with me," he said. "Let them go."

"You think you can parlay with me, beast?" sneered Gaston. "You must be joking. I'm going to kill the girls and take you back with me."

"You'll have to get past me first," growled Adam.

"I look forward to it," said Gaston, drawing his enormous sword.

"No!" I shouted. I too drew my sword.

"I'll fight you," I said, sounding a lot braver than I felt. "And if I win, you let us go."

Gaston laughed. "Very well, little girl. But your friend puts down her bow and arrows first."

Aurora reluctantly set down her arrows. "Robin, are you sure about this?"

I gripped my sword firmly between my hands. "Yeah, it's fine."

"You don't have to do this," murmured Adam, his hand on my shoulder. "I could just go with him. It would be okay."

"No," I said, conjuring up what courage I had left. "I can do this."

"We'll see about that," said Gaston. And with that, he lunged.

Gaston was much larger than me, and his sword was easily twice the size of mine. But I was faster and lighter on my feet. He stabbed and I dodged. I parried his blow, and darted under his arm and drew first blood from his wrist.

"You bitch," he snarled. And he redoubled his attacks with greater fury.

I ducked left and right as he tried to rain strokes down over me. I didn't have much of a plan, but I figured I could tire him out and eventually go in for the kill. He lumbered like an angry bear, but I slipped in and out of his reach like a cat. I decided I had had enough of defense, and I went to attack him.

There, and there again I stabbed and on the second time, Gaston was too slow to block my sword, and I drew blood again from his thigh. Now he fought with a limp, and I spun around to his blind spot and stabbed him again in the soft spot behind his knee. He roared in fury, and his movements became more erratic and uncontrolled. With a graceful twist, I had my sword against his throat.

"I win," I said breathlessly. "You have to let us go now."

Gaston snarled at me like a rabid wolf. "Fine. Now get off me, you whore." He pushed my sword away and placed his sword back into its sheath.

Aurora rushed to my side and gave me a tight hug.

"I'm so proud of you," she whispered into my ear. I smiled and returned her hug.

Adam was supporting himself against the tree, a pleased smile playing around his lips. I stepped over to him and wrapped my arms around him gingerly.

"You were brilliant," he said, holding me close.

And then there was a thudding noise, and Adam coughed. A dribble of blood spilled out of the corner of his lip, and he looked down in surprise. A dark stain was spreading down the front of his shirt. Aurora screamed. Gaston had thrown a knife, and it had lodged itself firmly between Adam's shoulder blades.

I drew my sword and leapt over towards Gaston. He was laughing, his entire body shaking in mirthless peals. I plunged my sword into his stomach, into his heart, his neck. Blood shot out of his body in spurts, drenching my tunic and soaking my hair. He continued to laugh until his body lay still broken, and still I continued to stab him, as if that could solve anything.

Finally, Aurora came and took me by the hand. I dropped my sword on the wet grass, and sank to my knees. I wanted to burst out sobbing, but I kept my tears inside me.

Chapter Fifteen: Red Riding Hood

I held him in my arms, and each shallow breath he took was music to my ears. Aurora gingerly removed the knife from his back and ripped off a piece of her tunic to staunch the flow. I tore my tunic into strips and we tied them around his chest as bandages. He lay there against my arms, his eyelashes fluttering weakly.

"You were amazing," he murmured, holding my hand.

I pressed my forehead against his and gave him a gentle kiss. "Just stay with me. It'll be alright."

He smiled and coughed. I wiped the blood from his lips and let him rest his head in my lap.

"It wasn't very deep," Aurora told me quietly. "I think he'll be fine. He just needs somewhere to rest and recover."

I nodded, relieved. "I'm not sure where we are though."

Aurora shrugged. "We just need to head west, but we need to find some place to stay for the night."

There was another rustling in the bushes. Aurora notched her bow and called out, "Who's there? Show yourself."

Out of the forest emerged a young girl, about sixteen years old, dressed in nothing but a loincloth and a red cloak. Her breasts were bare, still small and undeveloped. She held a crudely crafted spear in one hand.

She crept forward shyly, and Aurora lowered her bow.

"Are you alright?" she asked. "Do you need help?"

The girl knelt by Adam's side and pressed her hand against his forehead with a tenderness that made me want to trust her. She placed another hand reassuringly on my shoulder. Then, she stood and whistled loudly into the night.

There was some more rustling, and out of the bushes came the largest wolf I had ever seen. The creature's head could easily rest on my shoulder, and its body was roughly the size of a small calf. Its giant pink tongue lolled out of the side of its mouth as it padded gently over to the girl's side and lay down obediently.

The girl gestured that we should lift Adam onto the wolf. Aurora and I heaved him stomach down onto its large furry back. The wolf stood up easily, as if he wasn't carrying a full-grown man on its back. The girl patted it on the head, and waved at us to follow her.

We ran through the dense forest, dodging branches and trying not to trip over roots. We seemed to run forever, until the sun began to roll gently out of the distant mountains onto a sea-blue sky.

Finally, just as I was about to collapse from exhaustion, we reached a small cave whose entrance was covered by a curtain of ivy. The girl, who had not even broke a sweat, pulled the ivy aside and indicated that we should enter.

I ducked and stepped inside. It was surprisingly roomy, with a small cot in a corner covered with a thick wolfs hide. There were a few wooden bowls, and a flat rock where the girl apparently did her cooking. Two skinned rabbits lay over the rock, and the remnants of a small fire smoldered next to them.

The wolf lay panting next to the cot, and Aurora and I rolled Adam onto the ground. The girl handed me a few more strips of fabric, and we set about changing his dressing. Adam was mercifully unconscious, and we dabbed his mouth with a wet cloth before covering him with the wolf hide and letting him sleep.

"So, what's your name?" I asked the girl, who was now lighting a new fire.

She stared blankly at me, and set about putting the rabbits on a spit.

"I don't think she talks," said Aurora. "Do you talk?" she asked the girl kindly.

The girl made a barking noise, and placed the rabbits over the fire.

I pointed at myself. "Robin," I said clearly. And, pointing at Aurora, "Aurora."

The girl nodded mutely.

"Do you think she was raised by wolves?" Aurora asked. "I've heard of that happening. After a certain age, children can't learn language."

"That's so sad," I said, wonder what it was like to live in such a lonely, isolated world. But the girl hugged the wolf, which licked her face happily, and I figured she had found ways to love anyway.

"Where do you think we are?" asked Aurora, lying on her back, resting her head on her arms.

"I don't know," I said. "Maybe another two days ride away from the castle."

"When do you think we should leave?"

"I don't think Adam is in any state to travel," I said. "But if you want you can go ahead and tell them where we are."

She shook her head. "As if I'd leave you. Where on earth would you be without me?"

I laughed. "Dead, probably."

"Nah, you are pretty good with a sword. Where did you learn that?"

"Father used to pay for my brother to learn swords fighting with the village blacksmith. And when he finished he would always teach me what he learned and we'd practice together. But that was a very long time ago."

She grinned, her eyes closed. "I guess it paid off. You did very well."

"Same with you. That was a perfect shot."

"It was pretty close range," she said humbly. "Anyone would have made it."

"Well, I'm really glad you did," I told her.

The girl had removed the rabbits from the spit, and was gnawing on one enthusiastically. She handed the other to Aurora, who took a leg and handed the rest to me. I took a ginger bite, and was surprised to find myself famished. I quickly wolfed down the rest of the rabbit. Aurora laughed at my ravenous appetite.

"I don't remember the last time we ate," I said defensively.

"You'll want to go easy on the food," she joked. "Otherwise you won't fit into your dress for Snow's wedding."

I laughed. "That is probably the least of our concerns, truly."

From the cot, Adam stirred and murmured something unintelligible. I knelt by his side and checked his bandages.

"The bleeding has stopped mostly," I told Aurora.

"That's good," she said, nodding.

I took Adam's hand in mine and lay down next to him. I felt the rise and fall of his chest next to me, and I tucked my head in the nook of his arm, and fell deep asleep.

Chapter Fifteen: Return

I found myself in pleasant dreams. Adam and I stood hand in hand on a beach, watching the waves crash upon the sand at our feet. I wore a simple white dress with flowers in my hair, and he wore an elegant suit. We were watching the sun set into the sea, turning the ocean a magnificent red.

And then something warm and damp was lapping at my face, and I groaned and tried to push it away. I felt tiny pinpricks on my hand, and when I woke, I found the wolf nipping playfully at my fingers. I laughed and rolled over onto my stomach, rubbing the wolf between the ears. It barked cheerfully and licked my face chin to forehead.

"I guess you don't have to wash your face today," remarked Aurora sleepily. She sat up, rubbing her eyes, and shaking out her long golden hair.

I scratched my head and retied my hair into a sloppy ponytail. "How is Adam doing?"

"Good," she answered. "I changed his bandages this morning. It looks like he's healing well. And he's still asleep, I think."

He looked peaceful, lying there, his chest rising and falling with each breath. His brown hair fell in gentle curls over his forehead, and I felt an aching, a soreness in my heart that I had never felt before.

"You love him, don't you?" said Aurora quietly. I said nothing.

The girl was still curled up in the corner, under her red cloak, snoring softly. I felt that I could watch Adam sleeping forever. But he began to stir, rubbing his eyes and yawning widely.

"Robin?" he said sleepily. "Are you there?" 

"Of course," I said. "Did you rest well?"

"Yes," he said. "Is there anything to eat?"

I looked at Aurora, who shrugged. "I suppose I could go out and try to catch something."

"That would be nice. Do you want help?"

"No," she smirked. "You guys stay here and relax."

I gave her a grateful nod, and she grabbed her bow and quiver and left.

I nestled my head back into Adam's shoulder, and he winced, but wrapped his arms around me, burying his face in my hair.

"I'm so glad you're here," he said.

"I'm so glad you're alive," I told him. "I was so worried when I saw what those townsfolk had done to you. I was afraid –"

"Shh," he put a finger over my lips. "It's okay. It's over now."

"But you're still hurt."

"I'll get better. As long as you're by my side, anything can happen."

We sat there in comfortable silence, our fingers entwined, and our chests rising and falling as one. Eventually, the girl woke up and stretched like a cat. She smiled at Adam and me, and gestured to Aurora's cloak in question.

"She went to hunt for breakfast," I told her.

The girl nodded and padded outside, probably to look for her wolf.

"Do you know her name?" asked Adam.

I shook my head. "I don't think she has one."

"Well, we've got to call her something."

The girl came back into the cave, shaking her wet hair like a dog. She pulled her cloak around her for warmth.

"Do you have a name?" I asked her.

She cocked her head at me curiously.

"Well," I said thoughtfully. "What about Red Riding Hood? You can be Red for short."

She grinned and nodded.

Adam laughed and hugged me tight. "Red it is."

After a while, Aurora returned with a dove and a rabbit.

"Slim pickings," she said, handing her catch to Red. "But this'll tide us over till we can get back to the castle."

"Her name is Red now," I told her. "And that looks pretty good to me."

"Red, huh?" She looked impressed. "Nice to meet you."

Red barked cheerfully.

"So, how are you doing, Adam?" asked Aurora. "Feeling good enough to start heading out?"

Adam sat up and tried to get to his feet. I helped him up, and he leaned heavily on me. I could tell he was trying not to cry out in pain, and I quickly helped him sit down again.

"I guess not," I said lamely. "Do you think we should send someone for help?"

"Who would we send?"

"I dunno, we could call another griffin."

Aurora scoffed. "After what happened last time? I don't think so."

Red scooted in between us, looking up in interest as she munched on the dove's leg.

Aurora and I exchanged glances. "Red, do you think you could do us a favor?"

She nodded happily.

Aurora found a piece of bark and a charred stick, and she wrote in careful script, "Adam injured. Send help. Love A + R." She gave the bark to Red, who tucked it carefully in her loincloth.

"Can you bring this to the princes?" asked Aurora. "It's about a two day ride to the west. It's very important that they send someone to help us."

Red nodded and swung herself lightly over her wolfs back, and rode away out of the cave.

"What now?" asked Aurora as we watched her leave.

"We wait," I said, resting my chin on Adam's head.

Chapter Sixteen: Help Comes

And so we waited. Aurora tactfully busied herself with assorted tasks like gathering firewood and berries, hunting, and fetching water. Adam and I stayed in the cave together, telling each other silly stories and sneaking quick kisses whenever we could.

We were lost in a longer, deeper sort of kiss when Aurora returned from the river with a bucket of water.

"Ugh," she remarked, flicking water in our direction. "Must you be so gross?"

Adam laughed, and I stuck my tongue out in her direction.

"You're just jealous," I told her.

She threw a rock in my direction. I ducked.

"Maybe I am," she said defensively. "So what of it?"

"You'll find someone," I said reassuringly. "You're gorgeous."

She rolled her eyes. "And a fat load of good that's done me."

We feasted on wild berries and duck that night. As we watched the dancing flames of our fire, we made light conversation.

"So, Aurora," I said, chewing on a wing. "Who did you kill before that guard?"

She poked the embers thoughtfully. "My father."

My eyes widened in shock. "You killed your father?"

She nodded. "That's why they sent me to that abbey. They couldn't figure out what to do with me."

"Why would you kill your own father?"

She made a face. "He started touching me when I was twelve. And then when I was fifteen he started raping me. And I was silent, until he started looking at my sister the same way he looked at me. So one night he came into my room, and I took a cleaver to his heart."

"He deserved it," said Adam quietly.

"I didn't know you had a sister," I said.

"She'd be seventeen now," said Aurora distantly. "She loved him, our father. I never told her why I did it. But she probably hates me now."

I squeezed her hand. "You did the right thing. I'm sure she'll forgive you one day."

Aurora brushed a tear from her cheek. "I hope so too."

"Where do you think Red is now?" I asked after a while.

"Maybe she's reached the kingdom limits. Who knows?"

"She's a brave girl," said Adam. "I've never met anyone like her before."

I nodded. "I hope she makes it okay."

By all means, Red exceeded all our expectations. She had returned by noon the next day, bringing Felix, Snow, Idris, and a woman who turned out to be a healer by horseback.

Snow leapt off her horse and ran to embrace Aurora and me.

"I've missed you so much," she exclaimed, holding me at arms length. "I'm so glad you're alright."

I hugged her tightly. "Me too. I'm so glad you're here."

The healer was a tall, dark-haired woman with freckles and almond shaped eyes. She examined Adam's bandages and tsked at the marks on his arms and legs where they had bound him.

"You did a good job," she told me. "His wounds are healing well. Whoever stitched his back together should consider a career in medicine."

Aurora blushed prettily. The healer smiled at her and nodded in acknowledgement.

Idris and Felix lifted Adam onto a fifth horse, and Snow swung herself up behind Felix, and Aurora behind Idris. I sat behind the healer, and Red trotted on her wolf alongside us as we headed back to the kingdom.

"Where are you from?" I asked the healer as we rode east again.

"A city far from here," she told me. "I came across a great sea."

"Why did you come?"

"I've heard good things about your kingdom. And I wanted to practice healing somewhere where I wouldn't be judged for being a woman."

"Very interesting," I said, impressed.

She smiled, flattered. "And yourself? Do you have a career in mind?"

I shrugged. "Professional adventurer, maybe."

She laughed. "I've never heard of anyone aspiring to such a thing."

"Well, I'm still trying to work it out. I really love books, so maybe I will open a bookstore someday."

"Or write a few volumes yourself, no?"

"That would be something," I said, picturing my name on the spine of some hardcover.

"You should dream higher, dear," she said encouragingly.

We stopped to make camp that night in a clearing. The healer tended to Adam's bandages, and the rest of us gathered firewood and discussed our various sexual misadventures.

"There was one time when Idris did it with the chambermaid in father's bedchambers," said Felix, chortling. Idris scowled.

"What about when you were caught snogging our cousin at the tournament?" he retorted.

"I was six!" said Felix defensively. We laughed merrily.

"My first kiss was when I was sixteen," said Adam. "She was a girl from a neighboring town who was visiting with her trader father. We snuck out behind the cabbage patches and went at it until it was dark."

"Scandalous," said Aurora. "So who's the better kisser? Her or Robin?"

I threw a piece of bread at Aurora. Adam laughed. "Robin, of course!"

The stars came out like distant dreams, and Adam and I snuggled together under our blanket. I could feel the heat of his body against mine, and as I closed my eyes I could not imagine being happier.

Chapter Seventeen: Snow's Wedding

We reached the castle the next day, and there were large crowds welcoming us through the city gates. Some of the spectators gasped and pointed at Adam, but they were on the most part polite and cheerful.

Back in the castle, Cinderella greeted us with hugs. She curtsied at Adam, who gave her a deep bow and kissed her hand politely.

"It's so nice to finally meet you!" she exclaimed, shaking his hand warmly. "I've heard so much. How are you feeling?"

Adam smiled. "I'm doing much better, thank you."

We all gathered around a large table for dinner that night. The kitchen served us pheasant and pumpkin pie, with elderberry wine and cherry liquor. We laughed merrily as a large fire crackled in the fireplace, and rain drummed on the windows outside.

"So when is this wedding we've been hearing so much about?" asked Adam as the plates were cleared away.

"It's in three days," said Snow, holding Felix's hand. "We're so excited!"

"No one has cold feet yet?" said Aurora hopefully.

"Of course not," laughed Felix.

"I wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for him," said Snow.

"One can only hope," muttered Aurora. I stifled a giggle.

"Is everything ready?" I asked.

"More or less," answered Snow. "We're going to have our ceremony in the chapel, and then head out to the gardens for the reception. There will be –"

Aurora's fake snores drowned out her monologue. Snow rolled her eyes.

"Don't worry," said Felix lovingly to his fiancé. "Everything will turn out flawlessly."

And things did, for the most part, turn out flawlessly. In three days, we gathered at the altar to join Felix and Snow in holy matrimony. The priest had just finished declaring the two lovebirds man and wife when a cloud of violet smoke and a crash of thunder filled the chapel.

"Greetings all," a high, clear voice said as the smoke dissipated. A tall, curvy woman with emerald green skin and a sleek purple evening gown stood before us, smiling wickedly.

"You!" shouted Adrian, rising angrily from his seat.

"Oh please," she said sweetly. "No need to rise for me." With a wave of her hand, Adrian flew backwards and crashed into a table.

Adam and Idris started towards her, drawing their swords, but she snapped her fingers and thick vines appeared and bound themselves around them. Snow screamed, and Aurora notched an arrow in her bow. The woman clapped her hands and the bow turned into dust.

"You better fix that," Aurora said angrily.

"No worries," she replied. "I'm just dropping by, really. I don't see why everyone is so up in arms."

"What do you want?" I said. "And who are you?"

"Where are my manners?" she exclaimed. "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Ursula." She bowed deeply, exposing a fantastic cleavage.

There was a clatter and a group of soldiers charged into the chapel, armed with cross bows. Ursula rolled her eyes, and with a flick of the wrist, the soldiers turned into stone.

"As for what I want, well, I only wanted to give you my best wishes, despite your rudely misplacing my invite."

"You weren't invited," said Snow coldly.

She shrugged. "What can I say? I'm a busy lady. But still, I wanted to offer my regards."

"Consider them offered. You can leave now," Snow told her.

"Goodness, princess," Ursula said, offended. "Hasn't anyone taught you some manners? Your prince won't like that his queen is a brazen hussy."

Felix drew his sword. "Insult my wife again, you worthless bitch."

Ursula looked bored. "Everyone wants a fairy tale wedding, but when I show up and curse their firstborn, suddenly I'm the bad guy."

"There will be no cursing of firstborns here!" said the priest, looking alarmed.

"I know, I was only joking," said Ursula reassuringly. "Actually, I came to ask you all a favor."

"The answer's no," said Felix harshly. "You can be sure of that."

"You haven't even heard me out yet," Ursula responded in a lazy drawl. "No, I have a quest for one of you lucky fellows."

"What sort of quest?" I asked.

"The sort of quest that involves a far off castle, a damsel in distress, a dragon, that sort of thing. The details are rather boring, but the long and short of it is that I need someone to rescue a princess. Her father is dying, and she needs to take her rightful place upon the throne."

"Where is she? And why is she in a far off castle?" I asked.

"Well, her father is a regressive, misogynistic idiot, mostly," she told me. "I gave her a gift of independent thought and intellectual curiosity, when those other idiot fairies gave her beauty and a pretty voice. And what did I get? Not even a thanks. No, he locks her up like some animal, far off from the kingdom she should be ruling. What do you make of that? And people say I'm the villain."

"I feel like there's more to it than that," I said cautiously.

She spread her hands. "Not that I know of. You'd have to ask her or her father yourself. In any case, she is currently located high in a tower some fifty miles south of here. Follow the river, cross a mountain range, you can't miss it."

"And what are we supposed to do once we find her?"

"Her kingdom is another twenty five miles south of her tower. All you have to do is bring her back. Her father would like to see her before he passes, I'm sure. Even the worst of parents love their children."

"And what if it's a trick?" demanded Idris, struggling against the vines. "What if we go down there, and there's nothing there, or you've set some sort of trap?"

Ursula shrugged. "You have to take my word for this one."

I shook my head. "No, I've heard this story. The princess's name. She must be –"

Ursula smiled. "Yes, Rapunzel."

Chapter Nineteen: Rapunzel

"Why do you care what happens to Rapunzel?" demanded Aurora. "And why don't you go get her yourself?"

Ursula shrugged, nonchalantly flipping her long black hair over a shoulder. "The king has banished me from his kingdom. I am forbidden to step upon his land."

"He has the right idea, obviously," said Snow angrily.

"Well, you should do as you wish, your majesty," Ursula said sarcastically. "But I am here to request some hero take this task upon themselves. I will reward them accordingly."

I stepped forward. "I accept your challenge."

Ursula frowned. "You? Who are you to take on such a quest? You look as though a breeze could topple you over."

"I'm quite able with a sword," I told her fiercely. "You'd be lucky to have me."

Ursula sighed. "Alright then. I suppose beggars can't be choosers."

The crowd unceremoniously began to disband and head outside to the reception, murmuring uneasily. Soon it was just me, Ursula and Aurora left in the chapel.

"So, care to give some more details on this quest of yours?" I asked.

"Care to fix my bow?" asked Aurora.

Ursula snapped her fingers, and the bow reformed, slightly larger and more elegant than before. Aurora looked impressed.

"A token of my goodwill, dear," she said sweetly. "And as for the details, I will be happy to answer any questions you might have."

"Well, for starters, let's talk about the reward," I said. "What sort of reward are you offering?"

She raised her perfectly arched eyebrows. "Clever girl, are you? Don't do anything without knowing what's in it for you first."

"That's right."

She smiled. "Well, let me offer you this as a reward. In return for your successfully restoring Princess Rapunzel to her rightful throne, I will tell you the necessary steps you should undertake in order to remove the curse from your dear Prince Adam."

My eyes widened. "How do you know about Adam's curse?"

She laughed at my surprise. "Everyone knows about Adam's curse, sweetling. And it just so happens that the fairy who cast that curse is something of a protégé of mine. My powers surpass hers, obviously. It's just a question of whether I help you or not."

"Very well," I told her. "I will take on this task."

"And I will accompany her," Aurora interrupted.

"We will help your princess obtain her throne, and you will help Adam remove the curse," I said.

"Oh no," she said, shaking her head. "I tell you how to remove the curse. It's still up to you to remove it. But without me you would be completely lost."

I scowled. "Fine. Do we shake on this or something? How do I know you won't go back on your word?"

She frowned at me. "A fairy's word is her bond. Everyone knows that. But if you want something more physical-" With a flick of her wrist she conjured a fresh scroll of parchment, upon which was written the terms of our agreement.

She drew a large quill out of thin air, and signed her name with a flourish. She handed me the quill, and I carefully signed as well.

"Well, that's it then," she said, smiling, placing the scroll carefully under her arm. "When would you like to leave?"

"Tomorrow morning, I guess," I answered.

"We shall ride at sunrise," she declared.

The next morning, we met under the giant oak tree in the castle yard. Snow and Cinderella were there to see us off.

"You should be on your honeymoon," I said, hugging Snow tightly.

"The honeymoon can wait," she told me. "You are more important. Do you have everything you need? Can I get you anything?"

I shook my head. "Just keep us in your thoughts. And you have the other mirror, right?"

She nodded. "I'll check in with you every night. If anything happens, we'll send soldiers."

I laughed. "Thank you. And take care of Adam for me, will you?"

"He will have the best treatment in the kingdom. I'll make sure of it."

And so we set off, on three different horses. Aurora carried her bow and quiver on her back, and my sword hung at my side. Ursula had braided her thick black hair into a long plait that hung sleek and shining down her back. She wore nothing but a purple kirtle and a black cloak.

"So what's your story?" I asked Ursula as we set off towards the river.

"Well, I was born in the kingdom that we ride towards," she began. "My father was a famous sorcerer, and my mother was a fairy. I grew up in the enchanted forest, wanting nothing. My parents made certain that I had the best education, access to the brightest minds of our kingdom, and so on. I learned magic at my father's knee, and my skill quickly surpassed his. My name was known far and wide, and my skills ranged from healing to transfiguration."

"But then, one day a village maiden came to me in tears, for there was a boy she loved who did not love her back. She asked for a spell to help him fall in love with her, and I gave it to her. But she must have changed her mind, because instead she gave the boy a poison and he died. The boy's parents charged me with his murder, accusing me of driving the girl insane with my spells. They wanted me to bring their son back to life, but of course necromancy is anathema."

"In any case, they went to the king with their accusations, and he banished me from his kingdom. I returned to my homeland only once, at the christening of the Princess Rapunzel. And there I blessed her with intellectual abilities that would rival those of any wandering mage. I gave her strength and courage and all those gifts parents wish upon their sons but not their daughters. After all, what good is beauty when you are shut up in a room left to take care of the children?"

"But that king, idiot that he was, saw my blessing as a curse and he banished me again, with magic this time, so that I can never step foot upon my beloved forest again. At least, not until he is dead, which, thankfully, should be any day now."

"Fascinating," I said when she had finished. "So you are not evil at all."

She shrugged. "When a woman is powerful and confident, when she behaves, for all extents and purposes, like a man, she is branded a witch."

Chapter Twenty: The Tower

We finally rode to the river, where there was a small canoe waiting for us. We sent the horses back to the castle and waded carefully into the river and clambered clumsily into the canoe. Aurora took one paddle and handed me the other. We struck off with the current and quickly found ourselves in a swift, comfortable rhythm.

Ursula busied herself with examining a map she had brought along. She made marks here and there, and sucked absentmindedly on the nub of her quill, so that her lips became rather ink stained.

"So, Ursula," said Aurora. "If you don't mind me asking, why are you green?"

Ursula looked up in surprise. "I'm not sure, really. No one in my family is green. This was just the way I was born."

"Maybe it was something your mother ate?" I suggested. "Or some sort of spell gone wrong?"

She shrugged, stroking her long green arms. "I don't know. I used to be really embarrassed of it, but now I kind of like it, really."

"I think it's very cool," Aurora assured her. "Not very many girls have green skin, and I think it suits you particularly well." Ursula rewarded her with a rare smile.

We took a break for lunch, and let the stream carry us as we munched on our turkey sandwiches and cucumber salad. The sky was a bright sapphire blue that matched the current of the river, and the verdant green of the forest made for easy viewing.

"Tell me, Robin," said Ursula as we sat contentedly in the sun. "Have you ever considered dabbling in the magical arts?"

"No, never," I replied. "I don't think I have the skill for it."

"You'd be surprised, I think," she regarded me, squinting. "I can sense an aura about you. It is not strong, but with some practice you could be a great sorceress."

"Robin, a sorceress!" laughed Aurora. "That's a good one."

"No, I'm serious," said Ursula. "Have you ever done things you didn't think you could do? Or have bad things happen to people you were angry with?"

"I don't think so," I said, puzzled. "Although I guess it was kind of a miracle that I managed to best Gaston. I really hadn't sword fought in ages."

"See," she said triumphantly. "It's that sort of thing. I'm sure you've got other talents too."

I shrugged. "I haven't noticed any."

"Well, want to learn some?" she asked. Aurora looked jealous.

"What am I supposed to do?"

"Well, the basic idea of magic is change. Everything has energy, even, say, a rock. And when you do magic, you manipulate that energy in ways that don't happen in nature. It's a bit like pushing a wheel up a hill. Normally the wheel would just roll down the hill, but with a little help, it can go up instead."

"That sounds fascinating," I said. "Is there something I can practice?"

Ursula thought for a moment, and then she picked up a pebble from the bottom of the boat. "See if you can levitate this."

I took the pebble and turned it over in my palm. "Just like that? Isn't there an incantation or anything?"

"Not for something simple like levitation. Spoken spells are for more complex magic. For this, you can just visualize the stone rising a few inches from your palm, and put your mind to it, and _push_."

Aurora pursed her lips dubiously, but continued to row silently. I stared at the stone in my palm, felt its pressure against my hand, and imagined it rising into the air. I closed my eyes, felt the stone in my mind, and _pushed_.

I felt the stone turning in my palm, and when I opened my eyes, it had tumbled over onto its side. My face fell in disappointment.

"No, no, that was really good!" cried Ursula, clapping her hands. "It's really rare to get anything at all on the first try. If you keep working at it, I'm sure you'll get it by the end of the day!"

Aurora rolled her eyes.

"What's up with you?" I demanded.

"Nothing," she said shortly, handing me the paddle. "You can practice later. Your turn to row."

I took the paddle, scowling, and sat down to row.

Eventually the river ended in a marshy area, and Ursula helped me guide the canoe to shore.

"Here's where I leave you," she told us. "The border to Rapunzel's kingdom is right across this forest, and I can go no further. But I'm sure you will be fine. I will check in on you through the mirror to see how you are doing."

She turned to me. "Keep practicing on the pebble. And see if you can do things like light sticks on fire or get water to pool into a hole. Remember to push. I believe in you."

And then, with a sweep of her cloak, she disappeared.

"Well, she sure is something," said Aurora as we pushed the canoe onto land.

"What's up with you, anyway?" I said, irritated. "Why were you being so rude on the boat?"

Aurora shrugged. "I just don't like magic. It's foreign and I don't understand it."

"The things you don't understand could fill a book," I said meanly.

"Maybe," she said.

"I think you're just jealous," I told her.

She glared at me and we didn't talk until we stopped to make camp for the night.

"I'll go get firewood," she said shortly. "Maybe you can try lighting a stick on fire or something."

I set up camp and searched for berries in the bushes around our clearing. I felt irrationally angry at Aurora for not being as excited about magic as I was. Never in my life had anyone told me that I was special, that I had some talent or worth. I had spent my life in obscurity, nameless and forgotten, up until the moment when I kissed Adam and decided to set out into the world on my own.

And now Aurora wanted to take that away from me. So what if she didn't understand magic? So what if it scared her or whatever? Magic was something I could use for good, to help us find Rapunzel, and later to help lift the curse from Adam.

I stared at a particularly crunchy looking leaf and concentrated, visualizing it burst into flame. Perhaps it was my imagination, but I was sure it started to smolder.

Chapter Twenty One: Journey

The next morning, Aurora awoke and we set off as if nothing had happened. I did not mention the leaf, and she did not mention Ursula.

"So what would your ideal guy be like?" I asked her as we tramped through the underbrush.

"Oh, I don't know," she said offhandedly. "I guess he would have to have a gentle heart. He'd be very smart and he would always want to talk about what was on his mind with me."

"Sounds nice," I said.

"Oh, and he'd have blue eyes."

I laughed. "Are you sure you're not into Idris? He has blue eyes."

"Ugh," Aurora groaned. "That guy is so full of himself. He spends most of his time chasing tail anyway."

"Well, okay, but he might grow on you."

"I doubt it."

I laughed, and we stopped for a drink of water.

"What do you like so much about Adam anyway?" she asked, pushing the hair out of her eyes.

I shrugged, taking a swig of our water skin. "He's everything I've ever thought I'd fall in love with. He's kind-hearted, thoughtful, sensitive, caring, smart-"

"Okay, okay," Aurora laughed. "I get it. He's the perfect guy. But doesn't he have any faults? Anything you'd want to change about him?"

I shook my head. "Although it might be nice to lift the curse. I don't know, I think he's great the way he is, honestly."

"So how far have you gone with him?" Aurora lowered her voice conspiratorially.

"I'm not telling you!" I exclaimed, blushing furiously.

"Not all the way, surely," she said slyly. "Not in his beastly form, at least?"

I punched her lightly on the arm, and she widened her mouth in mock scandal.

"What was it like?" she teased. "Was he an animal in bed?"

I spat a mouthful of water at her, and she giggled and swatted me with her bow.

"Okay, okay, I get it," she said in surrender. "You're still an innocent little virgin. I'm sure that won't last for long."

"I am not having this discussion with you," I said loudly.

"Goodness," she said, disappointed. "I was only kidding."

"You can speak for yourself, but count me out of the sex talk."

We arrived at the foot of a steep hill, which turned out to be the lower part of a mountain. The climb winded us, so thankfully the conversation stopped there.

It was not particularly that I objected to Aurora knowing the details of my personal life, but rather that I myself was not entirely confident about what those details were. I thought about Adam pulling me into bed with him, and wondered if that could have turned into something more had either of us been more responsive and forward. The facts of life, or whatever people referred to them, had made themselves known to me from a young age, when my brother and I watched the dogs going at it in the yard. The milk lad who delivered our milk in small glass bottles every morning laughed at us and informed us, using the crudest of terms, what exactly they were doing.

But still, I never had an honest conversation with another woman about these sorts of things, least of all a friend. Our mother had died when we were very young, and when I had my first period, my father sent me to the washerwomen to be educated. They laughed and threw cloth bandages in my direction, and it was only through books that I learned what a menstrual cycle was. Being a woman, the world seemed to say, was something to be ashamed of, something to hide. I put my long hair up in a bun in my cap, and bound my small breasts with cloth.

In some ways, I was jealous of Aurora, who could tell stories of her sexual exploits that matched the best of Idris and Felix's. She was confident, unafraid to show off her body and not shy about knowing when people liked it. She flirted shamelessly at the ball while I hung back timidly from a distance. She moved with a grace and elegance that I could never hope to achieve. Men gravitated towards her like flies to a lantern, and she spun webs around them like some unapologetic spider. If she did not have a lover, it was not for lack of options.

But still, I had something she did not, I thought, turning the pebble over in my hand. I had magic.

That night we made camp in the shade of a large oak tree, whose trunk was so thick Aurora and I could have linked hands and still not reached around the entire thing. Aurora caught a small rabbit, which we eagerly devoured after roasting it over our fire. Snow had packed us some biscuits and wine, but we decided to save that for times of more dire need.

"What do you think she's like, this princess who's been locked up in a tower her whole life?" wondered Aurora.

I shrugged. "She could be mute, like Red."

"I doubt it," said Aurora. "She did get the gift of intellectual capacity or whatever Ursula came up with."

"What do you think of Ursula?"

"I don't know. She seems like an interesting woman. She doesn't seem as evil as everyone makes her out to be."

"I feel like she's not telling you the whole story," said Aurora. "I'd be cautious about the magic thing if I were you."

I frowned and didn't say anything. Aurora must have sensed my displeasure, because she patted me on the shoulder warmly.

"I think it's great that you have a new talent, I'm just saying that sometimes, things come at a cost. Especially changing the natural order of things. Maybe you should think about that before you try using it for anything bigger than lighting fires or levitating stones."

I nodded. "It's just that I've never had a real talent before."

She laughed. "That's not true. Didn't you see yourself sword fighting that guard? And Gaston? Besides, if you wanted to, I could always teach you archery."

"That would be really cool, actually. Would you like to learn magic with me?"

She shook her head. "No thanks. I've seen the dark stuff it's been used for. The sisters at the abbey used to dabble in it when they thought the Mother Superior wasn't watching. They summoned things." She shuddered.

"Well, I won't be summoning anything for a long time," I reassured her. "Just levitating things and so on. But if you say so."

She gave me a smile, and curled up under her blanket and fell asleep.

Chapter Twenty Two: The Tower

We woke up early the next morning and made our way over the mountain. When we had reached the top, we could see the kingdoms spread out before us like a map, or a miniature play set. In the distance, we could see a tower that looked to be a few hours walk away.

"Are you ready?" asked Aurora.

"Always," I replied. And we made our way down.

When we arrived at the tower, it was late afternoon, and the sun skimmed the treetops. The tower was located in the center of a wide field filled with wildflowers and yellow grasses. It looked weirdly out of place, as if someone had dropped it there out of the sky. We circled it for several minutes, looking for a door, but could not find one.

"I guess that makes sense," I said. "Otherwise she could just leave."

"Well, this does complicate things a bit," said Aurora, looking around. "Unless you think you can climb that tree over there?"

There was a tall oak tree with many branches that neighbored the tower. If I could climb up about twenty feet, I could reach the tower and step on to a ridge that went across, and from there I could make my way through a small window.

"I can try," I said, setting down my sword and twisting my hair into a quick ponytail. I pulled myself onto the branches and carefully clambered over the branches until I reached the ridge. The ridge was about a hands width across, so I had to press myself against the side of the tower and move sideways, one foot in front of the other. Aurora stood beneath me, looking worried.

But finally, after what felt like an eternity, I managed to pull myself onto the edge of the window, and, swinging one leg after the other, I jumped lightly into the tower.

I found myself in a room with a high arching ceiling. The walls were filled with paintings, charts of the stars, and scenes from different stories. There was a four poster bed in one corner, and a small wardrobe next to it. There were three shelves filled top to bottom with colorful books.

"Who are you?" a voice demanded. A girl of about eighteen stood before me, brandishing a large knife. Her hair, which was a strawberry blonde color, fell down to her feet in thick strands.

"I'm here to rescue you," I said cautiously, my hands held up in surrender. "Would you mind, you know, putting that down?"

She lowered the knife suspiciously. "Who told you I was here? Did someone send you? Where do you plan to take me?"

"Ursula sent me, and my friend Aurora outside," I told her. "Your father has fallen ill, and she wants you to return to the kingdom so you can claim your rightful place as queen."

"Queen!" she exclaimed. "Me? How could I be queen? I haven't seen another person in ages."

"How do you eat?" I asked.

She gestured to a small flowerbox next to the window. "I grow some of my own food. And every week a messenger comes from my father and drops off meat and bread. But they never talk to me."

"Well, do you want to stay here or what?"

"No," she said hurriedly. "Of course I want to leave! But how do I know I can trust you?"

I shrugged. "You don't, I guess. But do you have a better plan?"

She shook her head. "Alright then, you can lead the way."

We made our way carefully over the ridge and back down the oak tree. Aurora greeted Rapunzel with a brisk handshake, and congratulated me with a pat on the back.

We decided to camp out underneath the tower for the night, which was falling fast. Fireflies flickered in and out like stars over the dewy grass, and Rapunzel scampered back and forth gleefully, trying to catch them. Aurora marveled at the length of her hair, and spent quite a great deal of time trying to convince Rapunzel to let her braid it.

Rapunzel, however, was having none of it. "It gives me a headache," she complained.

"You mean having ridiculously long hair doesn't?" said Aurora. "Come on, I'll take it out if it hurts too much."

Finally, Rapunzel begrudgingly allowed Aurora to sit beside her and plait her hair into long braids. She looked like a strange blonde medusa when Aurora finished and laid back in the grass, happy and spent.

"So what was it like living here all by yourself?" I asked Rapunzel.

She shrugged. "Sort of boring, really. I've never had any friends, but I did read a lot of different books, so that was sort of like having friends. I just spent most of my day reading, cleaning, and writing. And cooking too, I guess. But it's been pretty lonely."

"Who taught you how to talk and read?"

"I don't remember," she said. "I've always known how, I guess. Even if there wasn't anyone to talk to."

I stared at a leaf, willing it to burst into flame. To my great surprise, a small flame licked itself up its side and turned the whole thing into ash.

Aurora looked impressed. Rapunzel stared, amazed.

"Can you teach me how to do that?" asked Rapunzel.

I told her about Ursula's advice, what magic was and the mysterious push. She found a leaf and set about staring at it intently. I tossed the stone up and down, and willed it to stay in the air.

We left early the next morning, before the sun had stretched its golden rays over a sapphire sky. We moved south at a reasonable rate. Aurora estimated, based on our view at the mountaintop, that we could reach the castle of Rapunzel's father in about another day. Rapunzel did not look terribly pleased about this. She looked like she would have preferred to spend more time travelling with us, and practicing magic, at which she was thus far unsuccessful.

"Do you think my father will be happy to see me?" she asked nervously, picking at one of her braids.

"I have no idea," I told her honestly. "I heard he's very ill though, so I'm sure he'll be glad to see you one more time."

She looked upset. "I don't know how I'm supposed to deal with meeting my father, just to have him die again."

I shrugged. We had arrived at a small cottage in the woods. A trickle of smoke snaked out of its chimney, and in front, watering some begonias in the garden, stood a slender, older woman. She had long silvery hair and a face that must have once been very beautiful.

"Welcome, my children," she said with a slight accent. "Come inside, I've already made tea."

Her eyes were a milky blue-white. It was clear that she was blind.

Chapter Twenty Two: The Queen of Stories

We entered her cottage cautiously. It was very dark inside, but the old woman moved around gracefully, pouring four cups of tea without spilling a drop. She wore a scarf around her silver hair, and instead of a dress, she had wrapped a long length of fabric around her body, and it fell to her feet in thick swaths.

"It's called a sari," she told me, as she offered us cream and sugar. I dropped a cube in my tea and stirred it carefully.

"How did you know we were coming?" asked Aurora suspiciously. She had not touched her tea. The old woman smiled at took a sip of her own tea to demonstrate that it was safe.

She smiled into her cup, inhaling deeply. "Ah, chamomile. It's my favorite," she told us. "As for how I knew you were coming, well, I have my ways."

"And what ways are that?" asked Rapunzel.

"You would not believe me if I told you," she said.

"Try us," I said.

"I knew you were coming because I can see the future," she told us. "And I can speak to ghosts."

I laughed. "Oh, I'm so sure."

She smiled mysteriously. "I told you, you would not believe me, Robin."

"How do you know my name?"

"I know all of your names. Aurora, Rapunzel, Belle called Robin. You are familiar to me, my dears."

"Who are you?"

She bowed deeply. "My name is Scheherazade. They call me the queen of stories."

Aurora's jaw dropped. "You? Where are you from? I've heard of you, a long time ago."

She nodded solemnly. "My name has been forgotten, but there are still those who whisper it at night, when they need some yarn to help them sleep. Once, when I was a beautiful maiden like yourselves, I was married to a king who would kill his wives after marrying them. Each night I told him a story, but stopped right before the end of the story, and each day he held his sword, until he realized he had fallen in love with me. I ruled as his queen for many years."

"Did you love him?" asked Rapunzel.

She shook her head. "No, he was a monster. My true love is the stories I tell. The ones that I see in my mind, and the ones that ghosts tell me."

"Ghosts?" echoed Aurora suspiciously. "What ghosts? They aren't real."

Scheherazade chuckled. "I may be blind, dear, but you are the one who refuses to see. There are many things whose realness does not depend at all on whether you believe in them."

"What do ghosts look like?" I asked curiously.

"Like memories," she told me. "Like dreams and shadows and the faint smell of peppermint on your lover's neck. Like moths in the twilight and breezes in autumn. Like a steaming bowl of soup and a plate of cookies with milk cooked by your mother. Like the cold soil of a graveyard, and the caw of a raven, and the ashes of a fire that burned long ago. That is what ghosts look like."

I nodded, impressed. "Did they tell you we were coming?"

"No," she said, stirring her tea. "I sensed you coming long ago. We were destined to meet here. I am glad that you have finally come."

"Is there a reason fate brought us here?" asked Aurora.

Scheherazade shrugged. "Does fate have a reason? We are not privy to her workings. The three sisters who spin out our lives in so much thread, they have their own ends that we cannot know, that we cannot understand, and even if they were to tell us, we could not grasp it. Our minds are shallow, like a dish of water. The workings of destiny are deep as the sea."

She turned to me. "Show me your magic, daughter. Light this candle for me." She handed me a tall white candlestick. I stared at the wick, concentrating, imagining a flame bursting forth, mentally giving a slight push.

And then the candle was lit, a flame dancing merrily on its tip. Scheherazade smiled and set the candle on the table. "Very good, dear," she said, satisfied. "You've made quick progress."

"How did you know?" I asked.

"I could sense your aura," she said. "It follows you like a cloud, wraps itself around you like a blanket. It wafts off you like steam from a bath. You have a great talent, Robin."

"Thank you," I said gratefully.

She nodded. "But don't worry, Aurora. You have latent abilities as well. Soon you'll discover who you truly are. Those who underestimate you have made a big mistake."

Aurora snorted, her arms folded over her chest and a hostile look on her face.

"Now," said Scheherazade, refilling our cups with more tea. "Let me tell you why we had to meet at this particular moment in time. It just so happens, Robin, that I know of your mission to restore Rapunzel to her rightful throne. It is a noble quest, and your success will not be easy. Your journey is long and arduous once you leave here, and you may find yourself wanting to turn back. Once you reach the kingdom, you must be wary of treachery, especially to those most close to you."

"Once you return, Ursula will give the instructions for you to break the curse, but know that her spell comes at a cost. Such is the way of magic. You will come to a fork in the road, and once you choose your path, you will not be able to turn back."

"As for you, Aurora, I know you remain skeptical of my powers, and that is understandable, given your previous experiences with magic. I know that the person you want to talk to most, your sister, Melody, is out there. She thinks of you often, and she misses you. She does not blame you for your father's death. You will be reunited one day, but only briefly."

"And you, Princess Rapunzel. You must steel yourself in preparation for meeting your father. He is not an easy man, and it will not be an easy reunion. But you must learn to forgive, to be merciful. For merciful rulers rule with the most grace, and that is what you must do. You will be faced with many difficult decisions during your reign, but I hope that you will act wisely. You have a bad temper, but do not let that get the better of you. You will fall, but as long as you pick yourself up again, you will be a great queen."

fexpression on her face. Aurora, Rapunzel and I looked at each other, puzzled.

"Well, go on, ladies," she told us cheerfully. "On to the next step of your journey!"

And with that, she shooed us out of her cottage and back into the forest.

Chapter Twenty-Three: The Dragon

The encounter with Scheherazade shocked us into silence for a while, and so we walked on, each lost in our own thoughts, admiring the beautiful autumn that had begun to set fire to the leaves. We found an apple tree, and we filled our bags with the ripe fruit, munching on the crispy sweetness as we went. Above us, a beautiful blue sky stretched like some clear painting, and below us, leaves the color of flames crunched beneath our feet.

At some time in the afternoon, we heard a low moaning in the distance. I looked at Aurora, puzzled.

"Should we go check it out?"

"I guess we can," she said. "I mean, we're already ahead of schedule, and it sounds like whoever's making that noise might need a little help."

We looked at Rapunzel, who shrugged, and we headed in the direction of the groans.

After a while, we found ourselves in an open meadow full of goldenrod and tall grasses. In the middle of the meadow lay something large and scaly, with long, leathery wings.

"Is that –" I started.

"A dragon?" said Aurora. "Yes, it would seem so."

We watched the beast as it heaved in agony, its huge wings rustling as they slid back and forth. Sensing our presence, it pushed itself onto its haunches and bellowed at us.

"Whoa," I said, putting my hands up in a universal calm-down sign. "Don't worry, we're not here to hurt you."

It snorted, and two streams of flame burst from its nostrils.

"Who are you?" a voice demanded from inside our heads. I clapped my hands over my ears, and looked around in shock.

"Did you hear that?" I asked Aurora. She shook her head, alarmed.

"It – he – the dragon just talked to me!" I said. "Inside my head!"

Aurora looked at me as if I were crazy.

"Well, then say something back," said Rapunzel, as if stating the obvious.

"Um, hello?" I said mentally, feeling like an idiot. "Can you hear me?"

"I can hear you," the voice answered in a deep, resonant tone. "What brings you here?"

"We heard your moans," I said. "It sounded like you could use some help."

"Indeed," he said. The dragon rose, revealing an underside marred by arrows and spears. Blood trickled from his many wounds, and he crumpled weakly onto his side.

I approached cautiously, running my hands over his beautiful scales. They gleamed as if made of gold. I grabbed hold of one arrow, and pulled sharply. The dragon cried out in pain, but the arrow came out, and I staunched the blood flow with a sleeve.

"You guys want to help?" I asked pointedly. Rapunzel and Aurora snapped out of their shocked reverie, and the three of us proceeded to remove the arrows from the dragon's sides. There must have been at least thirty arrows, and maybe five spears. The dragon moaned softly, his huge eyes glazed over in pain.

"Well, I think that's the last of them," I told the dragon, tossing the last arrows into a large pile. "You'll be fine now, right?"

He nodded. "Thank you for your help. I am in your debt." He arched his neck in a graceful bow.

"Oh!" I said, surprised. "It was not a problem at all! And my apologies for being rude. My name is Robin, and my friends are Rapunzel and Aurora."

"I have many names, but you can call me Sirius," he answered. "How can I repay your kindness?"

I conveyed his message to Rapunzel and Aurora. They shrugged.

"Do you think he can fly us to the castle?" asked Aurora. "That might save us a lot of time."

I asked Sirius, who stretched his wings in thought. We marveled at his impressive wingspan, which stretched across the entire meadow and threw us into shadow.

"Maybe tomorrow," he said thoughtfully. "I would like to spend tonight recovering, and we can leave at sunrise."

I nodded, and we began to set up camp.

Soon we had a crackling campfire to gather around, and above us the stars were scattered across the sky like splashes of silver paint. We had finished the last of the apples, and I tossed some of mine to Sirius, who snapped them up out of the air.

"So who injured you?" I asked.

"A group of hunters," he told me. "They have been following me for some time. They seemed to believe that I have some sort of hidden cache, and so they staged an ambush. I killed them all, of course."

"Do you have a hidden cache?" I asked interestedly.

He growled, his lips curling over teeth the size of my arm. I laughed. "Okay, okay, never mind then."

He settled his head down over his forelimbs and closed his eyes. "All dragons have caches. We love gold and treasure. It fuels us. But we do not tell anyone where it is, obviously."

"That's cool," I said. "Where do you get your treasure from?"

"Abandoned kingdoms, sometimes. Or diamond mines. Anywhere, really. But we do not steal. We take what is ours by force."

"I see."

The next morning we set about trying to figure out how the three of us could ride Sirius together. Finally, we decided that Rapunzel and Aurora could sit side by side on the dragon's neck, and he would carry me in his claws. I sat carefully between his razor sharp nails, and, the dragon stretched his wings out, and leapt into the sky.

Flying was unlike anything I had ever experienced. The wind blew the hair out of my tearing eyes, and below me I could see the kingdoms stretching far into the distance like a map or a toy set. I could hear the screams of Aurora and Rapunzel from above. With each powerful flap, the dragon rose higher and higher into the air until the meadow turned into a small patch the size of my thumb, and the river we had rowed down was a thin blue-green ribbon snaking its way through the mountains.

In the distance, we could see towers rising out from the plain. As we moved closer, we saw walls and turrets and the roofs of cottages and the towns square. We could see people moving among the streets like ants. The dragon flew us to a small glen in the forest, a little bit short of the city walls.

"I leave you here," he told me. "You will have to go the rest of the distance yourself. The king does not approve of magic."

"Thank you so much," I said gratefully, stroking him between his ears.

He closed his eyes and purred in appreciation. "Good luck, Robin. And beware a traitor."

With that, he leapt into the sky again, and we watched as he disappeared into the distance, a golden speck in the sky.

Chapter Twenty Four: Twins

I was feeling slightly disconcerted about Sirius echoing Scheherazade's warning about a traitor, but I figured there was very little I could do about it. We walked the short distance from the glen to the city gates. Like Felix's kingdom, Rapunzel's home was bustling with activity. Traders lined the streets, and the sounds of merchants selling their wares filled the air.

"Excuse me," I stopped an official looking gentleman. "Could you tell us how to get to the palace?"

He jerked his head over his shoulder and disappeared into the throng.

"Rude," remarked Aurora. We headed in the direction he indicated, and sure enough, after a few moments, we came into view of a magnificent castle.

"Welcome home," I said to Rapunzel. She smiled weakly, looking rather green.

"Visitors for the king!" announced the page as he led us into the castle. There was a large atrium, with a raised dais with a throne in the middle. The throne was empty. A distinguished looking man greeted us, shaking each of our hands warmly.

"Welcome, ladies, to King Arthur's realm. Anything you need will be provided for you. The king has not yet risen from his mid day nap, but as soon as he is ready, we will take you to him."

We were somewhat taken aback at the hospitality, but none of us complained as a maid led us to our rooms, which were enormous, with a fantastic view overlooking the bustling town center.

"So, have you decided what you are going to say to your father when you see him?" asked Aurora. Rapunzel shook her head.

"What am I supposed to say to the man who banished me for my whole life?" she said. I shrugged.

"Well, if it makes you feel any better, my father and I aren't on the best of terms either," I told her. "He gave me up as a hostage, but things ended up working out. I'm sure they'll work out for you too."

Rapunzel nodded, and sat down on the bed, hugging a pillow.

"I think I'm going to rest a little," she said.

"Want to go exploring?" I asked Aurora.

"Lead the way," she answered. And with that, we left Rapunzel to wander the long, winding hallways of the castle.

One hallway in particular seemed to slope downwards, leading to a dead end with a trapdoor.

"What do you think?" I asked, testing the door lightly. It opened with a creak, revealing a rope ladder that dropped into darkness.

Aurora shrugged. "Does it really matter what I say? Go ahead."

I laughed, and started to climb down. The air was damp and dusty, and we must have climbed for at least five minutes before we reached the bottom of the ladder. With a light hop, I landed on the ground, which was slightly wet. We were in a stone hallway, and there were torches on the walls.

"We must be in the dungeons," I remarked.

"I guess so," Aurora said. Our voices echoed in the darkness. Water dripped from the ceiling and the pitter pat resounded down the dimly lit hallway.

"Shall we continue?" I gestured down the hall. Aurora rolled her eyes, and grabbed a torch.

We made our way down the hall. There were doors to either side, with only a small barred window at the top, and a slit for food at the bottom. The air was permeated with a stench of something rotten. At the end of the hall, there was another door, which was neighbored by a set of vertical bars. Behind the bars sat two children, who looked to be around ten or eleven years old. They wore old, grey rags, and their faces were smeared with dirt and tears.

"Are you okay?" I asked, dropping to my knees in front of the bars. "Who put you in here? Why are you locked up?"

The children looked terrified, and clung to each other like kittens.

"Don't worry," I said kindly. "I won't hurt you. What are your names?"

The girl crawled forward and stuck her face between the bars. "My name is Morgana. This is my brother, Mordred."

"Hello Morgana, Mordred," I said. "Do you know why you're here?"

Morgana nodded. "We are druids. Our parents were caught practicing magic. We think they executed them."

"I'm so sorry," I said, horrified. "How long have you been in here?"

She shrugged. "A month, maybe more."

I looked at Aurora. "We've got to get them out of here." To my surprise, she frowned, unsympathetic.

"They're druids, Robin. I don't trust them. We should leave them here. They could be lying to us."

"I can't believe you!" I exclaimed. "They're children."

She shrugged again. "Whatever you do, it's on you. I want no part of it." And with that, she handed me her torch, and headed back towards the ladder. Her footsteps echoed in the darkness.

The boy stared at me, with wide, luminescent eyes. "Help us," said a voice in my head.

"Was that you?" I asked, shocked.

Morgana nodded. "He doesn't like to talk. You must be very special if he chose to speak to you."

"I'm flattered," I said, thinking quickly. "Look, I'm going to get you out of here. Do you have somewhere you can go?"

"Yes, our aunt," said Morgana. "I know the way once we're out of the castle."

I pressed my hand against the lock. In my mind, I pictured the gears and joints inside, and imagined them moving smoothly past each other. I pictured the lock open, and _pushed_, and with a click, the lock fell open in my hand.

"That was amazing!" cried Morgana. Mordred gave me a crooked grin. I pulled the door open with a clank, and the children dashed out, embracing me tightly with their thin arms.

"Don't thank me yet!" I said, leading the way back to the ladder. "Wait till we're out of the castle."

We climbed up the rope ladder without incidence, and I looked around carefully before helping the children out. We ran through the empty hallways of the castle until I found a door that lead out into the garden. We ran outside, and found a gate leading out of the castle walls.

"Wait," I said, as they were leaving. "Tell me, are you twins?"

Mordred and Morgana nodded, their movements identical.

"I was a twin," I told them, a lump in my throat. "My brother died when we were young. It's a special gift. I hope you stay together."

"We will," said the voice in my head. "Thank you."

And they ran away, hand in hand.

Chapter Twenty Five: Arthur

"The king will see you now," announced the page minutes after I arrived back in our room, breathless. Aurora wasn't meeting my eyes. Luckily, Rapunzel was preoccupied and did not notice.

The three of us filed into the largest bedroom I had ever seen. The king sat in an armchair next to a tall window, looking tired. It was obvious that he had once been handsome and muscular, but his strength had gone to seed with age.

"Welcome, ladies," he said. "What can I do for you today?"

I stepped forward and curtsied clumsily. "Your majesty, I have the pleasure of introducing your daughter, Princess Rapunzel." Rapunzel stepped forward, and knelt before her father.

The king stared at her for a moment, shock in his eyes. And then he leaned forward and pulled her upright. He held her at arms length, searching her face for something from long ago. And then he pulled her close and hugged her tightly. I sighed in relief.

"My daughter," he said, stroking her hair, tears in his eyes. "My beautiful, wonderful daughter. You look just like your mother."

Rapunzel looked shocked. "My mother? Is she-"

The king shook his head. "No, she died shortly after you were born. I never remarried."

"And you two!" he said, nodding at Aurora and me. "How can I ever repay you?"

"Oh, nothing," said Aurora modestly. "It was our pleasure." I nodded in assent.

"Don't be ridiculous," the king scoffed. "How could I show my face in public if the heroes who brought my daughter back to me were not rewarded to the fullest of my ability? We will have a festival."

"Oh, that's really not necessary," I started.

The king clapped his hands. "Bring me Lance. Tell him to organize a festival. It will be held next week. There will be jousting, and a tourney, and a ball afterwards. There is so much to organize! We must begin at once."

Over the next few days, it was interesting to watch the hustle and bustle as the kingdom prepared itself for the biggest celebration of the year. Soon, colorful pennants hung from all the windows, and beautiful wreaths of chrysanthemums were draped here and there, much to Aurora's displeasure. She spent much of her time holed up in our room, sneezing and doing her best to avoid the floral arrangements.

"So where did they go?" she asked one morning, dabbing at her red nose with a handkerchief.

"I thought you didn't care about druids," I said shortly. I had still not forgiven her for abandoning the twins and me.

"Oh, Robin, come on!" she exclaimed. "I said I was sorry, okay? It's just that I don't trust druids."

"They're safe."

"That's good."

"I just don't understand," I said, forgetting that I was angry. "Why does Arthur hate magic so much? And why druids in particular?"

"I can answer that," said a voice from the door. It was Lance, the page. He stood in the doorway, leaning casually on one shoulder.

"Please do," I said, gesturing that he should come in. He stayed by the door.

"Before Rapunzel was born, the queen bore a son. A young, healthy boy with dark curly hair. The king and queen doted on him. But one day, when he was about six, he went riding on his horse, and fell badly. He was paralyzed and unconscious. The king searched the entire kingdom looking for a cure. Sorcerers, sorceresses, fairies, witches, they all came to try to heal the boy. All to no avail. When the boy died, the king banned magic from his realms. And then there was the whole matter of Ursula's curse. So you can see why he would feel so strongly."

I frowned, puzzled. "But it wasn't magic's fault that his son couldn't be cured."

Lance shrugged. "You can take that up with the king, although I wouldn't recommend it."

"So can you tell me what exactly are druids?" I asked.

"They're like gypsies, really," said Lance. "They live in the forests, picking herbs and fruits. They don't eat meat and they never stay in one area for long. They make their money by healing and selling small trinkets. They're harmless, really, but they do practice their own special branch of magic."

"And what's that?"

Lance clucked at me disapprovingly. "Careful, Lady Robin, you're asking an awful lot of questions about a forbidden subject. Keep going on like that and you may find yourself shorter by a head."

"Oh please," said Aurora, with a toss of her head. "She's only asking you because you know so much. Just humor her, won't you?"

Lance blushed a bright red. He was obviously smitten with Aurora and, wanting to impress her, he turned to me.

"It's nature magic. You know, convening with Mother Earth, the spirits of earth, wind, fire and water and all that. They can control the weather and how well crops grow and so on. So whenever there's a drought or a poor harvest, they're the first people to be persecuted. Even when it's not their fault. Also, they're just generally spooky, so people don't like them very much."

I nodded gratefully.

"Thanks for the lecture, professor," said Aurora jokingly. Lance looked very pleased.

"So listen," he said in a rush. "I came by because I was wondering if you might want to get dinner with me. I know a really good place in town and-"

"Oh, I do hope you won't overstay your welcome," said Aurora loudly, examining her fingernails. Lance scowled, and left in a huff.

"That wasn't very nice," I said, laughing.

"I don't suppose you're going to thank me for making him tell you all that?" she retorted.

"Of course I'm grateful. I'm just saying, he isn't that bad looking after all."

"I know, but he smells like a barn."

We looked at each other, and burst into laughter. It felt very nice to be on good terms with my best friend again. I had missed her dearly.

Chapter Twenty Six: Betrayal

The excitement of the impending festivities was marred only by the king's discovery that the twin druids had escaped. To say he exploded in anger would have been an understatement.

"Whoever is found to have aided those criminals in any way will be severely punished," he roared. "And believe you me, they will be caught. I can promise you all that."

I tactfully finished my breakfast and excused myself. Aurora avoided my gaze as I left.

"Ah, Lady Aurora," said the king kindly. "May I have a word before you go?"

"Of course," she said as I left the hall. "It would be my pleasure."

I took the time to take out my mirror and contact Adam.

"I've been so worried about you," he said as his face swam into view. "Where are you? Did you find the princess?"

I quickly told him about Rapunzel, Scheherazade, the dragon, and the druid twins. He frowned in concern.

"A traitor?" he said, puzzled. "Who could that be?"

I shrugged. "I'm not that worried, honestly. What's the worst that could happen?"

"I wouldn't let your guard down, Robin," he told me sternly. "Especially not when two separate sources have made the same prophecy."

"We make our own destinies, remember?"

"Maybe, but there are some things we can't control."

"Speaking of control," I said. I told him about Ursula and the small magic I was practicing. He looked impressed.

"That sounds terribly useful," he said. "What's the biggest thing you can do so far?"

"Nothing big," I said modestly. "It's just levitation, lighting fires, opening locks, that sort of thing."

"I've heard that usually takes years to learn," he said in an awed hush. "There are whole schools for that sort of thing, and the first year they usually learn the theory. If you can just do it by yourself, you must be really powerful."

I laughed. "It's nothing. But I'll show you when you get back. It's fun. Maybe you can try it?"

He shook his head. "I've never been any good at that sort of thing, although I've read up on it. You know, to try and undo the curse."

"Don't worry," I told him reassuringly. "When I get back, Ursula will tell me how to remove the curse, and you'll be back to normal in no time."

He smiled winningly at me, and my heart melted a little.

"I miss you so much," I said.

"I miss you too. When are you coming back?"

"Maybe after the festival. It would be a little rude to leave early, seeing how they're in our honor, right?"

"I don't care. If I could spirit you away right now, I'd do it in a heartbeat."

I laughed. "Be patient. Absence makes the heart grow fonder."

"Fonder? I don't think that's possible at this point."

We exchanged a few more sweet nothings, and then I kissed the mirror in farewell. As I lay there in bed, I realized my cheeks were sore from smiling.

I must have fallen asleep, because the next thing I knew, Aurora was back in the room, reading a book in the armchair.

"What did the king want with you?" I asked curiously.

"Nothing," she said, not meeting my eyes. "He just wanted to give me this book."

"What's it about?"

"Magic, actually," she said. "It's about all the horrible things magic has done to this kingdom in the last five hundred years. It's really interesting, actually. You might want to take a look-"

"Oh that sounds fascinating, I'm sure," I said loudly, sitting up in bed. "But I just remembered I have something to do. Absolutely anything else."

"Suit yourself," she said, offended. "But don't blame me when something goes wrong and you light yourself on fire or something."

"I can put out flames now too," I said, snapping my fingers and extinguishing Aurora's desk lamp. She scowled and opened the drawer, looking for a match.

"I'd help you out, but I really have to go," I said sweetly. And I left the room, looking for someone less annoying to talk to.

As it turned out, Lance was carrying pots of flowers out into the courtyard.

"Do you need any help?" I asked as he walked by, grunting under the weight of a large pot of dahlias.

"That might be nice," he said. "But I don't know if you're strong enough."

"Really? How about now?" I lifted a pot easily and marched out in front of him. In truth, I was levitating it, but Lance didn't need to know that. He looked jealous.

The festivities began the next morning, starting with a jousting match between the most talented knights of the kingdom. I thought the whole thing was rather foolish, riding at each other with long sticks. What interested me was the fencing tournament. I had wanted to enter, but of course women weren't allowed. I bought a bag of candied pecans from a kind merchant, and went and found a seat next to Rapunzel.

"How are things going with your father?" I asked.

"They're alright, I guess," she said, shrugging. "I just don't know why he is so adamantly opposed to magic."

"Beats me," I said through a mouthful of pecans. "Want some?"

She shook her head. "Look, a bunch of knights just came out from the castle. They must be starting now."

I watched with interest as about ten knights walked over. But when they passed the field and headed straight towards us, I got a sinking feeling in my stomach. They stopped right in front of us, and two soldiers pulled me to my feet, pinning my arms behind my back.

"What is the meaning of this?" demanded Rapunzel, leaping to her feet. "I am the princess! You will answer me or I will inform my father."

"Your highness," said the captain of the guard, bowing respectfully. "I am here to arrest the Lady Robin, for charges of aiding and abetting druids, practicing magic, and for treason against the throne."

Rapunzel stared at me in shock as they lead me away.

Chapter Twenty Seven: Execution

"There must be some mistake," Rapunzel cried as they lead me into the courtroom. There were bags under my eyes from a sleepless night in the dungeons. They had dressed me in a plain white linen dress. My hands were chained behind my back, and the guard leading me fastened the chains to the bench. I was not allowed to sit down.

"She's innocent, I tell you," she implored. "Robin would never do anything –"

"Silence, child," the king said coldly. "Speak not of things you do not understand."

Rapunzel fell silent. I stood before a room of stony-faced men and women. At the head of the room sat the king upon a large, ornate chair. He held an elaborately carved scepter, and his face was stern and merciless.

"I am disappointed in you, Robin," he said to me. "I was grateful to you for returning my daughter, and here you are, a traitor in my midst."

"First of all," I said hotly. "You're the one who banished your daughter in the first place, so you could have returned her yourself any time you felt like it."

"Silence," he commanded. "You will not speak unless spoken to. Do you understand?"

I nodded resentfully.

"Very well. Lance, if you will read the charges."

Lance shot me an apologetic look. He unfurled a thick scroll and began to read. "You, the Lady Robin, a guest in King Arthur's court, are accused of aiding and abetting the druid twins called Mordred and Morgana who were held captive for crimes against the kingdom. You are further accused of practicing magic, which is forbidden in this kingdom and deemed treason. As a traitor to our kingdom, you are sentenced to death by burning."

Rapunzel gasped in horror. I was dumbstruck.

"Do you have anything to say for yourself, Robin?" asked the king.

"Yeah, yeah I do," I said angrily. "First of all, you should be ashamed of yourself for imprisoning two children. You should be ashamed of yourself for being so terrified of magic that you persecute an entire people who have done nothing to harm you. Secondly, I admit to helping them and I would do it again in a heartbeat."

"I admire your tenacity," said the king. "But the fact remains that you are a traitor, and you must pay for your crimes."

"And you?" I demanded. "Will you pay for yours?"

A murmur rose from the crowd. I felt my legs tremble in exhaustion, but I stood strong.

"Insolence," the king rumbled. "Take her to the stocks."

The guard unlocked my chains from the bench, and dragged me outside. I scanned the crowd, but could not find Aurora's face. I wondered if she had been captured as well.

The guard led me to a wooden dais in the center of the town square. There was a cage in the middle, and he pushed me roughly inside. Fastening my chains to the cage, he slammed the door and left me there, shaking, in front of a large crowd. We stared at each other for a moment.

"Witch!" someone cried. "Sorceress! You deserve to burn!" And then someone threw a rock at me that ricocheted painfully off my shoulder. Someone else hurled a tomato that splattered all over my dress. Fruit, at least, was soft. But the townspeople quickly went back to rocks. I curled into a fetal position, my arms shielding my head. But even that couldn't keep out the angry cries of hate.

The crowd parted, and the king stood in the midst of the mob. At his side was Aurora, looking intently at her feet.

"My people, I would like to present the brave woman who helped me find the witch. The Lady Aurora."

The crowd burst in to cheers and applause. I sat up in shock, staring at Aurora.

"I was your friend," I yelled at her. "I saved your life. Look at me. Look at me!"

She looked up, tears in her eyes. And then I noticed a young girl at her side, holding her hand.

"Robin," she said hoarsely. "This is my sister, Melody."

And then, some merciful spectator threw a stone at my head, and I collapsed unconscious in my cell.

I awoke to someone splashing water over my face. It was Lance. He handed me a cup of water, and I gulped it down thirstily.

"I'm really sorry about that," he said quietly. It was dark outside, and the air was full of the hum of mosquitos. The crowd had dispersed, and the town square was empty except for Lance and me.

"It's okay, it wasn't your fault," I told him, my voice raspy. He handed me another cup, and I gulped it down.

"The king told Aurora he had her sister in custody," he told me. "He said he would only release her if she told him who released the twins. She refused to say anything until he brought Melody out and threatened to torture her."

"What a pleasant guy," I said sarcastically. "Still, I'm not terribly pleased with her."

"I know, but I thought you might want to know the details."

We listened to the crickets chirping for a moment.

"So what's going to happen to me?" I asked.

"They're going to burn you at the stake tomorrow at sundown," he told me. "There's not much you can do about it."

"Well aren't you the bearer of good news," I said, leaning my forehead against the cool bars. I felt numb.

"I'm sorry, Robin, I really am."

"It doesn't matter now, does it?"

Lance held my hand for a moment, and then he took off his cloak and wrapped it around my shoulders. "I have to go," he told me. And with that, I was alone.

Time seems to speed up cruelly when you are waiting for your death. The hours slipped away like grains of sand through my fingers, and before long, the sun had risen, and I couldn't believe it was the last sunrise I would ever see. It was beautiful.

Today, the villagers ignored me, except for the children who stopped to point and stare. They hurried about their daily business, their heads averted. I guess seeing someone about to die wasn't something that brightened anyone's day.

And before I knew it, the sky had turned into a lovely shade of purple. In the distance, the moon hung in the sky like a silver slipper, and the last rays of the sun retreated over the treetops. An executioner in a black mask came to the dais and unlocked the door. He reached out a hand to pull me up.

"It's time," he said gruffly. And he led me off the dais to a pedestal they had set up in front of the castle. Upon the pedestal, they had piled a large stack of wood and hay against a single stake. The executioner pushed me roughly against the stake, and bound me against it with thick cords of rope. He took a bucket of oil and doused me with it, so that my hair and dress were drenched with the foul smelling stuff. He poured the rest around the kindling.

A crowd had gathered to watch. They were silent, their faces expressionless like statues.

The king watched a balcony.

"You are about to die, Robin. Now is the time to repent. Any last words?" he called.

"Yeah," I yelled back. "Fuck you."

The executioner struck a match, and dropped it at my feet. There was a whoosh, and I was engulfed in flames.

Chapter Twenty Eight: The Choice

I coughed as the heat surrounded me in an angry, crackling wall. The flames licked their way to my bare feet, and leapt onto my dress. I could feel my skin blistering, and it hurt to breathe. The smoke was making me dizzy. Still, I bit my tongue to keep from screaming. I didn't want to give Arthur that last satisfaction.

Soon, all I could see was red and orange, and I could feel the fire against my arms. I felt my vision begin to blur, and I hung limp against my cords, waiting for whatever happened next.

And then, suddenly, the pain was gone, and I found myself lying on the ground, the white linen dress unmarred by flames. The sky above me was clear and cloudless, a bright cheerful blue. I sat up and looked around. Before me was a trail, with trees to either side. I stood up, brushed myself off, and began walking. All around me was silence. Not even birds sang from the trees.

After a while I came to a fork in the road. To the right the trail turned into a path of grass and wildflowers, with beautiful willow trees lining either side. To the left, the path turned barren and icy, and impossibly, it had begun to snow only on that side.

"Well, this is really bizarre," I said out loud.

"Yes, it is," said a voice from behind me. I spun around, and my jaw dropped in shock.

It was like looking into my own reflection, if I were a boy, dressed in a green tunic and brown leggings.

"Robin?" I said, breathlessly. "Is that you?"

He nodded with a smile, and pulled me into a close hug. He held me at arms length, studying my face carefully. And then, with a swift blow, he struck me across the face.

"Ow!" I cried, rubbing my cheek. "What was that for?"

"That was for taking my name," he said flatly. "And for falling in love with someone else."

"That has nothing to do with you," I told him. "And I only took your name so I could hear it every day. Otherwise it would have been like losing you twice."

He nodded. "How is father?"

"I don't know. He sent me away. We're not on the best of terms now."

"He is not a strong man, Belle. You must find it within yourself to forgive him."

"We'll see about that," I grumbled. It felt strange to be called Belle again. I felt like a little girl, lost and afraid.

"So do you know which path you're going to take?" he asked, gesturing at the fork in the road.

I shook my head. "I don't know. What does it mean?"

He shrugged. "What does any of it mean? I certainly don't know."

"Where have you been all these years?" I asked.

"Around," he said. "Here and there."

I rolled my eyes. "That's not very helpful."

"I think it's a pretty clear choice, actually," he said, ignoring me. "There's no question, really."

"I think that's up to her to decide," said a new voice. I turned, and there was Adam. He smiled and held out his arms, and I ran into them, peppering his face and neck with kisses.

Robin scowled. "So you're here, aren't you?"

Adam nodded, holding me close. "Of course. Otherwise, as you said, there would be no question. It wouldn't be fair."

"How did you get here?" asked Robin coldly. "This way is closed to your kind."

"Love finds a way," said Adam.

"Ah, love," said Robin bitterly. "Something I will never get to experience." 

"What do you mean?" I asked. "I love you. We are two halves of the same whole, remember?"

"That's not the same thing," he said, dismissively. "I mean what you have with him. I'll never have that."

"You died when we were young," I whispered. "I'm sorry you had to miss out on so much."

He looked at me sadly. "I missed you most of all."

I nodded. "I missed you too."

"Robin," said Adam softly. "You have to choose now. Which way is it?"

"I don't know," I said, confused. "Why do I have to choose at all? Why can't I go back the way I came?"

Adam and Robin shook their heads. "You can't go back. Once you make your choice, you can never go back."

I thought for a moment. "So whichever way I go, will I never be able to see one of you again?"

"If you choose your brother, you'll never see me again," said Adam, stroking my hair lightly.

"If you choose your lover, you'll never see me again," said Robin, reaching for my hand. I withdrew it.

"You're dead," I said. "I was never going to see you again anyway."

"Now you have a chance," said Robin. "We are two halves of the same whole. You said it yourself. You belong with me."

I shook my head. "I can't go with you, Robin. I'm sorry, and I'll always love you, but I choose Adam."

Robin looked angry and disappointed. Adam took my hand, and we set off down the snowy trail.

"Belle!" yelled Robin from behind us. "It should have been you, you know. I should have been the one who lived."

But we went on our way, and I did not look back. A single tear rolled down my cheek, and I brushed it away, remind myself to stay fierce.

Chapter Thirty: At the End of the World

We walked hand in hand down the road of snow and ice. I shivered, and Adam draped his jacket around my shoulders. We walked in silence for a while, our footsteps on the snow muffled by the thick flakes falling around us.

"So," I said finally. "Is all of this real?"

"What else would it be?"

"I don't know," I said. "Maybe a hallucination? A dream? A metaphor?"

He shrugged. "It is what it is."

I frowned. "But I was in the fire. I was burning." I looked down at my hands, which were smooth and unburned. "How could that be?"

"I wouldn't think too much about it if I were you."

"But how did you find me?"

"Oh, Robin," he said, stopping to press kisses into my hair. "I will always find you."

I hugged him and kissed him deeply.

"I'm glad you did. Otherwise who knows where I would be?"

We walked for a while. The world around us was bright white, and the sky a piercing blue. The path was lined by pine trees, whose needles infused the air with a fresh, foresty smell. Our breath hung in the air like ghosts.

"Where are we going?"

"I'm not sure," said Adam, frowning. "All I know is that this was the right path to take."

"How did you know?"

"It was a feeling."

"Where are we?"

"Another world, maybe," he said, frowning. "This place feels different. Older, maybe. No one has been here for a very long time."

"Can we get back to where we were?"

"Eventually, although nothing is ever the same."

I nodded, and held his hand tightly in mine.

After a while, we came to what seemed to be the end of the path. It simply stopped abruptly at the edge of a cliff. It was as if someone was working on a painting, and stopped halfway through. Or as if we had reached the edge of the set of a play, and we were now about to step backstage.

"What is this?" I asked, curiously.

Adam shrugged, and turned to face me. He held me by the shoulders and looked intensely into my eyes.

"Robin," he said seriously. "Do you trust me?"

"Of course," I said honestly.

"Would you step off the edge of this cliff with me?"

I hesitated. "I would do anything for you."

He smiled, and hugged me closely.

We stood at the edge of the cliff, which was so high that we could only see clouds beneath us. We looked at each other, smiled, and stepped off together.

We fell for what seemed like an eternity, the wind blowing in our hairs and making our eyes stream. We fell through the mist, and it seemed like we were floating, suspended in some sort of white, damp milieu. And then suddenly we were out of the clouds, and we saw the sea beneath us, looking dark and stormy and steel grey. The waves rushed up to meet us, and then we were crashing through the surface into its cold depth.

Someone was throwing water over my face, and I coughed and sat up. I was lying in bed, surrounded by pillows. Adam sat next to me, looking concerned.

"Are you alright?" he asked, worried.

"Yeah," I said, wincing. "Where am I?"

"You're back in Snow's castle," he told me. "Sirius the dragon brought you back here."

"What happened?"

"I guess they burned you at the stake," he said. "And suddenly there was a giant thunderstorm, which put the flames out. And then someone took you off the stake and brought you to Sirius, who flew you back here. You've been unconscious for a week. I was worried you would never wake up."

"Well, I'm awake now," I said. And then I caught sight of my hand, which was pink and shiny, as if the top layer of my skin had been peeled off.

"I want a mirror," I said, pulling back the covers to reveal legs that were just as blistered.

"Look, Robin," said Adam gently. "You don't have to do this right now."

"Give me a mirror," I said flatly. Adam sighed and handed me a small mirror. I almost didn't recognize my reflection. My face had been burned raw and red, my once smooth cheeks now marred with angry blisters. My eyebrows and lashes had been burned off, and much of my hair had fallen out, leaving ugly spots of bare scalp. I set down the mirror and lay back among my pillows, my eyes closed.

"You'll heal," said Adam softly. "It'll get better. I promise."

"I'm hideous," I said tonelessly. "I'm disgusting. I'm –"

"A beast?" asked Adam, jokingly. He took my hand in his. "You'll always be the most beautiful woman in the world to me."

I turned away, feeling tears welling behind my eyelids. "Just go."

"Are you sure?" he asked, concerned.

"Yeah," I said, my voice muffled. "I just want to be alone."

"Alright then," said Adam. "Just let me know if you need anything and I will be right up."

I nodded and pulled the covers over my face. The soft silk chafed against my sensitive skin, and I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to will myself to sleep. In my dreams, I could be whole again. In my dreams, I was beautiful.

Chapter Thirty One: Quest

I stayed in my room the next few days, not speaking to anyone, even Adam. I had them slide my meals through a slot in the door, and I stayed in bed, sleeping fitfully during the day and sitting out on the balcony at night, when the sun did not irritate my sensitive skin. I watched the moon glide softly between the clouds and the stars, and for a while I could forget how deformed I now was.

"Robin?" a voice asked from behind me. It was Ursula, wearing her black dress and cloak as usual, her green skin glowing softly in the moonlight.

I turned away. "Hello, Ursula."

"Let me see," she said, sitting down next to me.

I let her run her eyes over my face and neck. I felt humiliated and angry.

"At least you're alive," she said softly. "It could be a lot worse. I'm glad you made it back."

"Can you fix this?" I asked.

She shook her head. "I can't, but maybe you can."

"Oh?" 

"Do you still want to go on a quest to lift Adam's curse?"

"Of course."

"Alright, then I'll tell you what your task will be. You must make a potion with a number of ingredients. Most of them can be bought at the marketplace, but there are three items that you must fetch yourself, and it will not be easy."

"Is anything ever easy?" I grumbled. She smiled and patted me on the shoulder.

"First, you must fetch the horn of a unicorn. Are you still a virgin?"

"Yes," I scowled, blushing.

"Good, because they will approach you. Now, you don't have to kill it, but you will have to immobilize it somehow when you remove its horn. And be careful, because unicorns are fierce."

"Next, you will have to travel to the Lake of Avalon, far north of here. You must obtain a vial of its waters, but you must be wary of what lies in its depth. Do not trust the denizens of the deep, Robin."

"Finally, you must go to the Winter Kingdom, even further north than the Lake of Avalon. You must meet the Snow Queen, Arya. She has a mirror that shows the answer to any question you ask, and you must look inside it for the final ingredient. Only then can you return, and we shall make the potion together."

"That sounds like it will be quite a hike," I remarked.

"It is," she said. "But you will have company, I'm sure? Aurora will want to go with you."

"She betrayed me," I told her. "I will go alone."

Ursula shrugged. "The path to the north is treacherous. It would be better if you had company."

"Aurora's company is more treacherous," I said. "She almost got me killed."

Ursula nodded sympathetically. "She's here, you know. She's staying with Snow too. You could talk to her about it. Maybe it was a misunderstanding?"

"I don't think so. She betrayed me, and the king had me executed on her word. I never want to see her again."

"Are you sure?" asked Ursula, looking concerned. "True friendship is too rare to be let go without a fight. I'm sure she would want to talk to you before you go."

I shook my head. "I'll leave tomorrow morning. Tell no one of my trip."

"Not even Adam?"

"I'll leave him a note."

Ursula shrugged. "Suit yourself."

And then, with a sweep of her cloak, she had disappeared. I wished she would teach me how to do that so I could just reappear in front of a unicorn or at the shores of the Lake of Avalon. But then, I suppose, it would not be much of a quest.

"You're leaving tomorrow then?" a familiar voice said from behind me.

"I don't want to talk to you," I said coldly. "You betrayed me. You almost killed me. And you think you can just come in here like nothing happened?"

"Arthur had my sister," said Aurora softly. "He would have killed her in front of me if I didn't say anything. I haven't seen her in ten years. I couldn't let him hurt her."

"But you could watch him burn me at stake, couldn't you?"

"He said no harm would come to you."

"Well, he lied, didn't he? Just like you did when you said you were my friend."

Aurora was silent.

"You can leave now."

"Let me come with you," she said urgently. "I'll make it up to you, I promise. I'd do anything for you, you know that. I'm really sorry about what happened, but please don't let this ruin our friendship."

"You know what ruined our friendship, Aurora?" I said loudly. "The part where you betrayed me and had me executed. I'd say that put a damper on things."

"I'm sorry," she whispered, tears in her eyes.

"Sorry means nothing," I told her. "I want you out. Now."

"Look," said Aurora, as she turned to leave. "I know you're angry at me, but I promise I'm going to try to set things right. You'll see."

"I won't hold my breath."

She closed the door softly behind her, and I exhaled deeply. I lay on my back on the balcony, my fingers laced over my stomach, watching the stars shift in the velvet sky. My mind was empty as I watched the moon peek through wispy clouds. I could hear the crickets chirping in the garden below, and the frogs croaking from the pond. I could see the distant pinpricks of light from windows in the town, and I watched as they went out one by one, leaving me alone in the darkness.

Chapter Thirty Two: Bargain

I set out the next morning, my head covered in a dark scarf and a long cloak. The air was still chilly enough that I could see my breath. I packed lightly and swung myself over the back of my horse, and then we set off north.

I had no idea how to go about finding a unicorn. My best guess was to go into the Enchanted Forest with a basket of apples and sit in the middle of some meadow and wait for the unicorn to find me. Nor did I have any plans on how to remove its horn. I had my sword, so there was always that.

I rode for the better half of the day, until the sun was skimming the tops of the trees like a red balloon. We stopped by a stream and I drank deeply and splashed water into my face.

There was a rustling from the trees. I drew my sword and called out, "Who's there?"

Out of the bushes stepped a grizzled looking man dressed in torn clothes. He held a large, wicked looking knife and there was an evil gleam in his eye.

"You!" I said, brandishing my sword. "Don't come any closer."

He leered at me. "The queen is dead," he said in a raspy voice, as if he had not spoken for a very long time. "Long live the queen." 

"What are you talking about?"

"You killed her," he said accusingly. "You killed her and all the rest. All the lonely people in their lonely little homes. You killed all of them with your mind. I know it because I was there. I was god and I was the devil and I know all things about you, little princess. So don't think I don't."

"I don't know what you're talking about. Why don't you leave now?"

"I will avenge her," he told me, advancing with his knife. "I will avenge all of them and then the voices will stop talking to me. They will reward me and set me up against the stars."

"What voices?" I asked. "Are you hearing things?"

"I hear all things," he said. "And you will not escape my wrath."

And then he hurled the knife at me, and I could see the blade hurtling through the air as if in slow motion. But then there was a thud, and I was on the ground, covered in blood that was not mine.

When I got up, the huntsman had disappeared. On the ground lay Aurora, the knife embedded in her side, her blood spilling out in torrents.

"I told you not to come with me," I shouted at her, trying to stop the flow. "Now look what you've done!"

She coughed weakly, a trickle of blood spilling down her chin. Her eyelids fluttered.

"Stay awake!" I ordered. "You're going to be okay."

I tied my scarf around her wound as tightly as I could, and then I heaved her limp body onto my horse. I mounted behind her and tried to hold her still as we galloped through the woods, looking for help. After an eternity, we came to a small wood cabin, whose chimney was puffing smoke into the sky.

I pounded on the door and shouted, "Someone help me! I've got an injured person who needs help! Open up!"

The door opened, and out stepped Rumplestiltkin.

"Well, well, well," he said, rubbing his hands together. "Look who it is! How ever did you find me?"

"No time for explanations," I said urgently, pulling Aurora off the saddle. "I need you to help her right now or else she might die."

"It sounds like you're asking me for a favor," he said with a half smile. "I believe you owe me one."

"Well, make it two!" I shouted. "You need to save her right away."

"Two it is," he said, helping me carry her into the cabin. He set her down on a small cot, and untied my scarf to take a look at her wound. He ran his hand over the gash, and murmured some words. The wound began to close, knitting together magically.

"Now, before we finish this up," he said. "Let's talk prices."

"Anything," I said.

"That's what I like to hear. How about your firstborn child?"

"What?" I exclaimed. "That's ridiculous. I don't even have any children."

"You will!" he told me gleefully. "And I want the first one."

"That's impossible," I said. "No deal."

He waved his hand, and the wound in Aurora's side began to open. She groaned, and blood began to seep onto the sheets.

"Okay, okay," I said hurriedly. "How about you can have the oldest when they turn eighteen?"

"Thirteen," he countered.

"Fifteen," I said. "Final offer."

"Fifteen it is, then!" he giggled madly, and with another wave of his hand, Aurora's wound sealed completely, the skin pink and smooth as the rest of her body.

I breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thank you, sir," I told him.

Aurora stirred on the cot, rubbing her eyes and lifting herself to her elbows. She looked around in surprise.

"Where are we?" she asked. "Who are you?"

"I'm Rumplestiltskin, at your service," he said with a bow. "And welcome to my humble abode."

We ate dinner at the small wooden table in his kitchen. Rumplestiltskin served some sort of stew on thick grey bread with nuts and raisins. We ate in silence, and I avoided Aurora's eyes.

"Well, thank you for your hospitality," I said as we stood to leave. "It's been a pleasure."

"The pleasure's all mine," he answered with a low bow. "Until we meet again then?"

"I guess so," I said dubiously.

"See you again in about fifteen years," he said, closing his door with a smile.

Aurora and I walked in silence back to the horse. I mounted, and reached out a hand to pull her up behind me. We rode off into the north, a starry blanket sparkling above us.

Chapter Thirty Three: The Unicorn

I didn't talk to Aurora until we were deep into the Enchanted Forest. The dense trees blocked out the sunlight overhead. We stopped by a pond, and I drank from my water skin.

"I had to strike a high bargain with Rumplestiltskin to save your sorry ass, you know," I told her. She nodded.

"What did he ask for?"

"My firstborn child. When they turn fifteen. So you best be grateful."

"I am."

"Betray me again, and I'll slit your throat myself."

She nodded again, and we set up camp for the night.

The next morning I was awoken by a wet snuffling at my face. Something was licking my cheek with a warm, raspy tongue. I opened my eyes to see the most majestic creature I had ever seen, standing before me, chewing on a mouthful of grass.

"Aurora, wake up!" I whispered, shaking her shoulder. "It's the unicorn!"

It was slightly taller than a horse, sleek and brightly white with a few brown spots on the legs. Its hooves were silver, and its mane and tail were a soft grey. The horn that protruded from its forehead was a beautiful gold. I gently stroked the creature behind the ears, and it gave a gentle whinny of contentment.

"So how on earth am I supposed to remove your horn?" I wondered out loud. I ran my fingers up and down the horn, wondering if I should just try to pull it off.

"Wow, it's really pretty," said Aurora sleepily.

"Are you a virgin?" I asked.

"No," she said.

"Then you should probably stay back for now."

"Why," she said crossly. "Because it can smell my vagina?"

I laughed in spite of myself. "Hand me my sword, will you?"

"You're not going to kill it, are you?"

"Of course not," I said. "I'm just going to cut off its horn."

I took my sword, and brought it against the horn. To my surprise, it cut through it like soft butter. The horn felt heavy in my hand, as if it were made of pure gold. The unicorn whinnied softly, and got up and trotted away.

"Well, that was easy," said Aurora, impressed.

"I can't believe it just came off," I said. I pressed my sword against the horn again, and this time there was a clink, and the horn came away unscathed.

"Whoa," said Aurora. "That's weird."

"Well, part one is finished," I said, placing the horn carefully in my bag. "Off to find the Lake of Avalon, I guess."

"Where is that supposed to be?"

"The north, I guess. We can ask for directions on the way."

She nodded, and we mounted our horse and set off through the forest.

"So are you really going to give Rumplestiltskin your firstborn?" 

I shrugged. "Fifteen years is a long time. Maybe he'll forget by then. Or he'll be dead. Or maybe I won't have any children. Who knows?"

"Who is he, anyway? Where does he come from? Where did he learn magic?"

"No clue, although that healing thing would be really useful to know."

"You could ask Ursula about it the next time we see her."

"Yeah, well, she hasn't exactly been giving me lessons, has she?"

"What can you do so far?"

"Just set things on fire, levitate stuff, make little things disappear."

She nodded. "There's one thing I don't get, though."

"Yeah?"

"When they burned you," she said hesitantly. "Well, you passed out, and then a huge thundercloud came out of nowhere and drowned out the fire. Did you do that?"

"I don't remember," I said.

"Only a really powerful sorceress could have done that," she said. "Someone with a lot of magic."

"I was unconscious, remember?"

"I've read somewhere, though, that when you are conscious your mind sort of closes the barrier to your magic. And it's really your subconscious that has all the power. Maybe your body sensed that you were in danger, and it responded to protect you?"

"That would be really useful then."

We rode on in silence for a while, until it started to get dark again. The forest still stretched before us for miles and miles, and I feared that we might never leave. The woods were dense, and we rode blindly on in the dark, looking for a meadow or a clearing where we might be able to make camp. Finally, we found a small glen, and we dismounted. I tied the horse to a tree and Aurora began to set up a fire.

"How is your sister doing?" I asked.

"She's doing well, I think," said Aurora. "Scheherazade was right. She doesn't seem to resent me or blame me for my father's death. We haven't talked about it, but she has been really affectionate."

"That's good."

"How is Adam doing?"

I told her about what happened when I fainted in the fire, about the fork in the road, and seeing Robin again, and jumping off the cliff with Adam. She looked confused.

"What does any of that mean?" she asked, frowning.

"Who knows?" I shrugged, poking a stick in the fire and willing it to burst into flame. "I was dead and then I wasn't. I don't even know where we were."

"Sounds like a mystery to me."

We lay there on our arms in the dewy grass, watching the stars move swimmingly through the deep blue sky. Eventually, I drifted off to sleep, and dreamt of clear blue waters and gentle hands.

Chapter Thirty Four: The Lake of Avalon

After three days we reached the edge of the forest, coming upon a field of yellow grasses that seemed to go on forever. We rode across it until we were surrounded by goldenrod on all four sides, and it seemed the earth had turned into a sea of waving grasses.

It turned out, according to some travelers we met along the way, that the Lake of Avalon was high up in the mountains, and so we set off towards the towering shapes on the skyline. Their distant outlines seemed to blur with the enormous clouds that piled up in the sky. That took another two days, before we reached the feet of those majestic cliffs.

"Well, this doesn't look like fun," remarked Aurora as we stood at the base of a cliff that seemed to rise straight up.

I shrugged. "I guess this is where we leave the horse." I slapped our loyal steed on the flank, and she trotted off back from where we came.

"Hey, I found something over here," she said, pointing at a small crevice. There was a steep set of stairs that wound tightly up the mountain. We began our ascent with high spirits.

"It's getting hard to breathe," I said, when we were so high the trees looked like green cotton balls.

Aurora nodded. "The air is thinner here."

"Look," I said, pointing. In the distance we could see the clear cerulean blue of a lake. From far away, it looked like the sky had spilled into the mountains.

"That's good," she said. "I could use a drink."

I laughed, and we made our way towards the lake.

When we reached its clear edges, we could see straight to its sandy bottom, which was scattered with smooth, round pebbles the color of honey. There was a small rowboat tied to a stump by the shore, and we climbed inside and began to row our way across.

"Do you think the water in the middle of the lake is better or something?" asked Aurora.

"Who knows?" I answered. "Besides, we have to get to the other side anyway. Might as well go by boat."

When we reached the middle of the lake, I took the small bottle from around my neck and dipped it into the cool waters. To my great surprise, a hand wrapped itself around mine, knocking me off balance and pulling me into the lake. I fell in with a splash, and looking around underwater, I saw the most beautiful face I had ever seen. It was both masculine and feminine, and perfectly symmetrical, perfectly smooth, with wide clear eyes the color of moss.

"Hello, Robin," it said in sweet high tones. "Welcome to Avalon."

My eyes widened.

"We can cure you here," it said again. "We can make you beautiful again." Its cold hand stroked my cheek.

"Remember me?" another voice said. I spun around, and almost gasped in shock. A face very similar to mine appeared before me, with eyes shaped like mine and the same brown hair floating like seaweed beside her.

"I've missed you, daughter," my mother said softly, taking my hands. "I've waited a long time to see you. I'm so proud of you."

"Come with us!" said another familiar voice. My brother floated beside our mother, his arms outstretched. "We will be the family we were always meant to be."

My lungs had started to hurt from the lack of oxygen. The light coming from above seemed to be growing fainter and fainter, and I felt dizzy from holding my breath for so long.

And then there was a splash, and Aurora was in the water next to me, brandishing a knife at my mother and brother. Except they were not my mother and brother at all, but horrible goblins with fish tails, and leathery faces stretched taunt over evil looking skulls. They hissed at Aurora, who grabbed me by the wrist and swam up towards the surface.

We broke through the surface, heaving. She flipped me onto the boat, pounding at my chest. I coughed up a river, and lay facedown, panting, my eyes closed.

"You idiot," Aurora shouted, wringing out her hair. "Didn't Ursula tell you not to trust them? Didn't she?"

I sat up, clutching my sore chest. "I forgot."

"You're lucky I was here," she told me. "Did you get your water?"

I nodded, holding the bottle that hung around my neck. I coughed again. "Let's get out of here before they come back."

"Now you're talking some sense," she said, irritated. She tossed me a paddle, and we began to row slowly to shore.

"What made you go down there, anyway?" she asked after a while.

"They looked like my mother and my brother to me," I said.

"Well, they looked like hideous monsters to me."

"Aren't you special then?"

She snorted. "Why would they affect you like that?"

"Your guess is as good as mine," I said with a shrug. "Maybe it was because you weren't underwater?"

She shook her head. "There's something about you. Magic affects you more than it affects me. Like the way you could talk to that dragon."

"One of the twins could talk like that too. Just speak out loud in my mind."

She shuddered. "Druids make me nervous. I still don't see why you had to help them."

"Um, because they were children?" I said pointedly.

"It's your call," she said. And we paddled in silence until we reached the shore, and then we waded through the shallow waters, dragging the boat behind us.

"I guess we just need to get through these mountains, and we'll have to find where this Snow Queen is," said Aurora.

"Yeah, let's stay here for the night."

Aurora shook her head. "Not with those things out there."

And so we found the next set of narrow stairs that wound twistedly through the mountains, even though the sun had set, coloring the lake a deep wine red. The bottle bounced against my chest, cool and damp.

Chapter Thirty Five: The Snow Queen

We climbed those treacherous steps all night, until we were exhausted down to our bones, and the soft pink fingers of the dawn were reaching over the horizon. We reached the foot of the mountains, and collapsed in an exhausted heap by the trees. We slept until late in the afternoon, when the sun had dropped considerably in the sky, and the mosquitoes were beginning to scream in our ears.

"What now?" said Aurora, yawning.

"I guess we stay here for the night," I said decidedly, looking for firewood. "And we can head north again tomorrow."

"Sounds good to me," she said, laying her cloak down on the ground and curling up on it.

I started a fire, and placed ten pebbles in a circle around me. I closed my eyes and tried to imagine them flying towards me. I focused on one in particular, locating it in my mind's eye, and giving it that infamous _push_.

"Ouch!" I said, as the stone hit me on my forehead. Aurora snorted, and I threw the pebble halfheartedly in her direction.

"Summoning spells are useful," I told her. "Just you wait."

"I'd keep your eyes open if I were you," she advised sleepily.

We traveled on wearily for two days before we began to see paved roads and the stray trader hawking their wares. Soon we arrived at the gates of what must have been the Snow Queen's kingdom.

"Hello?" I stopped a young girl in the street. "We're here to meet with the Snow Queen."

"This is the Ice Kingdom," she told us. "Follow the iron road and it should lead you to the castle."

The roads were paved with iron, silver, gold and diamond. Aurora whistled, impressed. We followed the iron road, and sure enough, we soon came up on an enormous palace that looked to be made out of either ice or glass.

"It's ice!" exclaimed Aurora, as she rubbed a finger against the door. With a low groan, the door opened, and we walked inside, shivering.

"Welcome," came a regal sounding voice from the throne. A tall, majestic woman with long, white-blonde hair sat in a throne carved from diamonds and gilded with silver. She held a long scepter that was studded with emeralds and pearls. Her eyes were a piercing blue, and her fingernails were painted turquoise.

We knelt before her, our knees cold against the icy floor. She bade us rise, and we stood before her, marveling at her beauty.

"My kingdom welcomes you," she said again. "Have you been to the Ice Kingdom before? We must give you a tour."

"That would be lovely, your majesty," I said with a curtsy. "But we are not here for pleasure. We have business to ask of you."

"As most visitors do," she said graciously. "Well, ask away then. What are your names?"

"My name is Robin," I said with a slight bow. "And my friend's name is Aurora. We come from the south, seeking a mirror that you possess, that will tell us the next step in our journey."

"Your journey?" said the queen curiously. "Tell me more."

"It's a long story," I said. "But basically I have a friend who has been cursed into the form of a beast. In order to remove that curse, we must brew a potion with a unicorn's horn, water from the Lake of Avalon, and a third ingredient whose identity is still unknown to us. That is why we must consult with your mirror."

"Yes," she said, nodding. "My mirror of Reason. It is well known throughout the land."

She rose from her throne, her long white dress spilling to the ground. "I am called Arya, the Snow Queen, ruler of the Ice Kingdom. You are welcome in my land. I will find you a place to stay. However, in order to peer into my mirror, you must first prove yourself worthy."

"As you wish, your majesty," I said.

"What is your weapon of choice?" she asked Aurora.

"My bow and arrows," she answered.

"And yours?"

"My sword."

Arya nodded. "Then you will match your skills against those of my most talented archer, Emeril, and my most talented swordsman, Demitri. If you succeed in besting them, we will discuss a price."

"I'm afraid we don't have any money," I told her unhappily.

She laughed. "Everyone has their own personal currency. But first you should get a good nights rest. Tomorrow we will have our contest, and then we will discuss your mirror."

Servants showed us to our room, which was a magnificent thing with two large beds full of pillows and fur blankets. Aurora and I fell asleep immediately.

The next morning, we were greeted with a breakfast of meat jerky and some sort of hot stew with bread. We wolfed it down hungrily and waited for instructions. Soon the queen entered the hall, dressed in a white gown lined with thick ermine. A simple crystal tiara rested above her carefully coiffed hair.

"Good morning, friends," she said cheerfully. "Are you ready for the games to begin?"

Aurora and I nodded, and she gestured that we should follow her. We headed to a courtyard, where two men stood. One was tall and lean, and the other was short and stocky.

"These are Demitri and Emeril," she said, gesturing to the tall and short one respectively. "You will be matching them today."

Aurora looked at me and shrugged. "I guess I'll go first then."

Two servants brought in a target, and they set it at fifty paces. Aurora gestured at Emeril, indicating that he should go first. He raised his bow, drew his arrow to his cheek, and let loose. The arrow flew true, striking the target square in the center.

Aurora pursed her lips, impressed. She took her stance, and drew her arrow to her ear. There was a soft whirring sound, and suddenly an arrow sprouted from the target, splitting Emeril's arrow in two.

Arya laughed, delighted. "Wonderful! Now Robin, show me what you've got."

Demitri and I circled each other warily. I drew my sword, and he drew his. He feinted at me a few times, and I deflected him easily. And then he charged like a bull, and we were at it, our swords clanging loudly, echoing in the courtyard. His blows were hard and strong, and my hands shook after a while. I faked left and stabbed right, and caught his thigh with my blade. He wiped off the blood as if it were spilled wine.

He charged me again, and this time his blow drove me to my knees. He parried with his sword, and then struck me across the face with his fist. I lay on the ground, panting, his sword at my cheek.

"Well, looks like you've come all this way for nothing," he said, sneering. But then I stared at his sword, and gave a gentle push. The sword flew from his hand, and while he gaped in shock, I kicked him in the groin, hard, and he fell backwards. I grabbed my sword and placed my blade against his throat.

"Careful," I told him. "You have to keep a hand on your sword."

"Wonderful!" crowed Arya from the sidelines. "I'm so happy you've won. Now we can talk payment."

Chapter Thirty Six: Robin's Shadow

I followed Arya to her private chambers, which were covered in fur. There was a roaring fire in the fireplace, and she gestured that I should take a seat.

"Now, let me first congratulate you on your performance," she said. "I was worried for a moment there. How did you get out of that spot?"

I shrugged. "Luck, I guess."

She laughed. "I've never heard anyone call magic luck before. No, you're a witch, my dear. Don't worry! I am too! I'm not like my fellow ruler to the south. He fears the things he doesn't understand, but me, I embrace them."

"That's commendable."

"It's a rare quality, sadly," she admitted. "Now what else can you do?"

"Nothing impressive. I can set small fires, and levitate things, and summon them. It's small stuff, really."

"For now," she said conspiratorially. "I can teach you more, if you want?"

"Like what?"

"Well, you know, making potions, brewing poisons, enchanting objects, reading minds, that sort of thing," she said with a wave of her hand. "But what I am really interested in right now is," and here she leaned forward. "Necromancy."

"Necromancy?" I asked dubiously. "Like, bringing back the dead?"

She nodded. "Not that I've had much success with it so far. I've only been able to bring back insects and small reptiles so far. It doesn't work with mammals, and certainly not humans. At least, not yet."

"That's a dark magic," I said.

She shrugged. "I've lost a loved one, and I want him back. He lies beneath the palace, frozen, ageless. As soon as my experiments are successful, I will resurrect him and we will rule this kingdom together."

"I don't know anything about necromancy."

She waved her hand nonchalantly. "That's not a problem. Anyway, we are here to talk about you, not me. Now, what can you give me in exchange for say, an hour with my mirror?"

"I don't have anything," I said honestly. "I've already promised my firstborn away, so that's out of the question."

"Really? Your firstborn? To whom?"

"Rumplestiltskin," I told her. "He's a trader-"

"I know Rumplestiltskin," she said sharply. "He's a dangerous man, and certainly not a trader. At least, that's not all he is. Why have you been dealing with him?"

"He gave me a two way mirror, and he healed Aurora when she was wounded," I said.

She nodded, frowning. "I would recommend that you avoid him in the future. Making bargains with Rumplestiltskin is akin to making deals with the devil, which isn't to say that Rumplestiltskin is not the devil."

"I'll keep that in mind then," I said.

"Well, let's hope that you don't need to go through with that. I certainly wouldn't, if I had any children." She sighed sadly.

"You wanted to talk prices?"

"Ah yes, of course, excuse me for getting off track. It's so rare that I get interesting visitors. Most of the time, the townspeople want to talk about stolen chickens or something."

I nodded sympathetically. The fire crackled loudly, and a servant entered, holding a platter with two steaming mugs of hot chocolate. I took one gratefully, and sipped, waiting for Arya to speak next.

"Well, your skills are very interesting to me," she said slowly. "Would you be interested in staying year, as something of a magical consultant? You could be the court sorceress."

I shook my head. "My place is with my friends in the south. That's why I'm collecting these items. I need to make a potion and remove my friend's curse."

"Of course," she said, looking disappointed. "I would expect nothing less of you. But that does limit our options."

"Is there nothing you want of me?"

"Oh no, there is something," a cold look passed over her face. "Something I have wanted for a very long time."

I waited for her to continue.

"Now, here in the north, there are times when the sun does not set for months. With the sun high in the sky, children who are born during these times have a very strange quality. Do you know what that is?"

I shook my head.

She rose from her seat, and stood in front of the fireplace. "Do you notice anything odd about me?"

I studied her, and could not think of anything.

"Look there," she said, pointing in front of her. "What do you see?"

The ground before her was bright. "You don't have a shadow."

"That's right," she said with a smile. "We northerners born during the long days don't have shadows."

"How could that be?" I said, puzzled.

She shrugged. "Such is the way of the world. But, as it were, I have always wanted a shadow, and I noticed that you have such a nice one."

I looked at my silhouette against the carpet. "Yeah, I do. Are you saying you want my shadow?"

"Yes, in exchange for an hour in front of my mirror, I would like to take your shadow."

"And how do you propose to do that?"

She drew from the folds of her dress a long, jagged dagger. It was black, glassy obsidian, and it shimmered in the firelight, as if it were not completely solid.

"Well? Do we have a deal?"

I nodded. She smiled, and with an unexpectedly swift movement, she brought her arm down, and plunged the dagger into my heart. It felt icy cold, and I felt something ripping inside me, as if I were a piece of paper being torn in two. And then she was holding something dark in her hand, something dark and struggling.

"I'll have my handmaid sew this on first thing tomorrow," she said gleefully. "Thank you, Robin. You have served me well."

And she dismissed me from her room. I wandered through the torch lit hallways, shadowless and alone.

Chapter Thirty Seven: The Mirror of Reason

Aurora found me right before dinner, sitting in the garden and watching the snow fall gently over the ice statues.

"I've been looking all over for you," she said. "Where have you been? Did you pay the price?"

I nodded. "She took my shadow."

"Your shadow?" said Aurora, puzzled. "What on earth would she want with your shadow?"

I shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine."

"Well, come on, dinner's about to start. We don't want to be late, I'm starved."

I shook my head. "You go ahead, I think I'm going to go to bed early."

"Suit yourself." Aurora left, and I stood, slowly finding my way back to our room. I lay on the bed and fell asleep immediately.

The next morning, Arya took me to the Mirror of Reason, which was kept in a long hallway lit by sparkling diamond chandeliers. The room was otherwise empty, except for the tall mirror that stood at one end.

"One hour," she told me, closing the door behind her.

I approached the mirror cautiously, peering into its depths. I saw myself standing there, looking confused and very tired.

"Hello," said my reflection, giving me a small wave. "How can I help you?"

I spun around in shock, but there was no one behind me.

"You'll get used to it," said my reflection. "Now, what do you need?"

"Um, hello," I said, stepping closer. "My name is Robin."

"And I am Elena."

"Well, I'm here to ask you for the third ingredient we need to break Adam's curse. You see, he's been transformed into-"

"A beast, I know." My reflection nodded. "And you need a potion to break the spell. Well, I can certainly help you with that."

"What is it?" I asked. "How can we find it?"

She laughed. "One question at a time. Now, the next ingredient you need will not be easy to find. You must travel along the coastline, to an island called Aeaea. There, you will find a mystical beast called the Medusa. She has snakes for hair, and you must obtain one of these snakes. But you must be careful. If you look directly into her eyes, you will be turned to stone."

"Stone?" I asked apprehensively.

"Yes," Elena said, nodding. "So I would recommend taking with you something reflective, like a mirror."

"Is that it?"

"Almost," she said. "There is another resident of the island, a witch named Cersei. I would do my best to avoid her, but if you do meet her, try to stay on her good side. She is a powerful enchantress."

"Okay, we'll do our best."

"Once you get the snake from Medusa, you can return to your home and Ursula will show you how to brew the potion and remove the curse."

"How do you know Ursula?" I asked.

She laughed. "Of course I know Ursula. Everyone knows Ursula. She's the most powerful witch there is. Or at least, she was."

"She was?"

"Oh yes, haven't you heard? There's a new power in the land. Everyone with any magic can sense it. It's bigger than Ursula, stronger, wilder. No one knows who it is yet. They haven't revealed themselves yet, but once they do, well, that should be interesting."

"Who is it?"

Elena shrugged. "I am not sure. Whoever it is has power that far overwhelms mine. I think it is a young woman, though, but that doesn't really narrow things down."

"No, it doesn't."

"Well, now you have the answers you sought. Is there anything else I can help you with?"

"Yeah," I said, thinking. "Can you see the future?"

Elena nodded. "But those are not things you want to know."

"Why is that?"

"Because your knowledge of the future will not change your destiny. It will be like being strapped to the railroad tracks and feeling the stones beneath your feet vibrate as a train rushes towards you. It will be like dying of thirst, and drinking from a cup you know is poison. Ignorance is better than knowing and being unable to act upon it."

"Okay," I said, disappointed. "Well, I've got something else I need help with."

"Alright, let's see what I can do."

"I've promised Rumplestiltskin my firstborn child. And, you know, I would really prefer not to him that. So, is there any way out of it?"

"You made a deal with Rumplestiltskin?" Elena asked, her eyebrows raised. "That's not a bargain easily broken."

"Can you help me?"

She shook her head. "Rumplestiltskin's magic outstrips mine. He's almost as powerful as Ursula herself. You can appeal to his soft side, but I don't think he has one."

"I guess I'll have to pay up then."

She nodded. "Well, it will be a while. And there's no saying you won't see your child again. Who knows what Rumplestiltskin wants with a child anyway?"

"Not for eating, I hope."

"Oh no," she laughed. "Whatever else he may be, Rumplestiltskin is not a monster. Your child will have an interesting life, that's for sure."

"I will have a child for sure then?"

She shook her head. "Not a child, children."

"More than one?"

She smiled at me. "Yes. Twins."

Chapter Thirty Eight: The Whore's Daughter

I told Arya and Aurora everything Elena had told me. Everything except for the twins. That seemed private to me.

"Well, you're in luck, ladies," Arya told us. "It just so happens that a ship is leaving tomorrow, heading for southern waters. It will sail past Aeaea. It's called the Whore's Daughter."

"Lovely," I said sardonically.

Arya laughed. "That should give you some idea about what the crew is like. In fact, I would recommend that you two dress up as men to fit in. Otherwise you may experience some harassment."

"I'm down with that," said Aurora, looking at me. I nodded.

"Very well," said Arya, rising from her throne. "It's truly been a pleasure having you here. I hope we will meet again."

We hugged her closely and headed off to our room to pack our things.

The next morning we left at sunrise, taking with us a few loaves of bread and two skins of elderberry wine. Aurora had cut her hair off with a knife, so that it hung below her ears. I put my hair up into a bun and tucked it inside my cap. We shouldered our bags and headed to the port.

"Hello, can we speak to your captain?" I said, keeping my voice low. The crewman snorted at me.

"Who's asking?" he said gruffly. He was a heavily tattooed man who looked to be at least a hundred pounds heavier than me.

"We are," I told him bravely. "We want to join your crew to Aeaea."

He laughed. "You! I'll bet you can't even grow a beard yet."

"Is that necessary to sail a ship?"

He frowned at me.

"What's going on here?" a tall, dark haired man stepped up behind him. He was breathtakingly handsome. Beside me, Aurora gave a low whistle. I elbowed her in the ribs.

"We're looking for the captain of this ship," I shouted.

"That would be me," he said with a slight bow. "I'm Captain Hook. How may I help you?"

"We'd like to sail with you to Aeaea. We'll work for our keep."

"That sounds good," he told us. "A couple of my men disappeared last night. We could use a few extra hands. Come on up."

We ran up the plank excitedly. I'd never been on a ship before, only read about them. This one was enormous, with giant sails that disappeared into the sky above.

"Welcome aboard the Whore's Daughter," said Captain Hook, offering me a calloused hand to help me aboard. "What are your names?"

"I'm Robin," I said. "And this is-"

"Seth," said Aurora quickly, reaching out to shake his hand. "Nice to meet you."

"Now, have you two gentlemen been on a ship before?" he asked, gesturing that we should follow him into his quarters.

We shook our heads. "This is our first time, sir."

"Well, I'll have to show you the ropes," he said, sitting down on his neatly made bed. "These are the captain's quarters. I'll show you where you'll be staying next."

He walked us down a set of stairs into a dimly lit hall, where there were small rooms to either side. We entered one room, which had three hammocks and a small desk.

"You can leave your things here," he said, gesturing at the hammocks. "With any luck you'll have a third roommate. He should be here any minute."

Aurora and I exchanged looks.

"Don't worry," he said, smiling. "He's a good lad."

Captain Hook showed us around below decks, where the food stores were kept, the cannons that poked through holes in the sides of the ship. He showed us the anchors that hung down the sides, and the long sets of oars where we would row when there were no winds. We marveled at the thick, heavy sails, and the snakelike ropes that held them up.

"There's a lot of work to be done here," he said sternly. "There's nothing I hate more than a man who won't pull his weight. Do I have your word that you'll work hard to keep this ship afloat?"

"Yes sir," Aurora and I said in unison.

"Very good," he said, smiling. "Now let's go meet the crew. If we have any luck, we can cast off by noon."

The crew had gathered on deck, and were chatting livelily until we walked over. They fell silent and regarded us with suspicion.

"Now boys," said Hook, clapping me hard on the shoulder. I tried not to wince. "These are our new shipmates, Robin and Seth. I expect you to treat them like family, because that's what we are."

We shook hands with the crew, who were every bit as hard and calloused as Hook.

"That's Owen, Eric, Tristan, Cale, Duncan, Stan, and Rowan. Sydney here is the cook. And it looks like we're missing your roommate." Hook frowned.

Aurora and I exchanged hopeful glances.

"Well, let's raise the anchors and set the sails," he shouted, grabbing a rope and swinging gracefully across the deck. "Prepare to sail!"

Aurora and I watched in awe as everyone swung into action. With a sharp breeze the sails snapped taut, and soon we were moving quickly away from the port.

There was a shout and a splash, and someone was flailing about in the water. Hook threw in a rope, which they caught, and the crew pulled him to shore.

A young boy of eighteen at most climbed aboard, shaking his wet hair like a dog. He had dirty blond hair and a round, boyish face with bright hazel eyes.

"Flynn!" said Hook happily, clapping the boy on the back so hard he almost toppled over. "Meet your new roommates, Seth and Robin. Gentlemen, would you show him to your quarters?"

Aurora and I led Flynn silently down the stairs and into the small room with the three hammocks. He closed the door behind him, and regarded us happily.

"Well, who would've thought I would been so lucky to land a room with two lovely ladies!"

Chapter Thirty Nine: Bon Voyage

We stared at Flynn, shocked into silence. And then I came to my senses, and in two quick strides, I crossed the room, and placed him into a quick headlock. With a flick of my wrist, I had my knife against his throat.

"Who told you that?" I demanded, pressing my blade hard against his neck.

"Whoa, calm down," he said reasonably. "I can just tell. It's a talent I have. I can always tell when people are lying."

I let him go, but kept my knife pointed at him.

"You can tell when people are lying? What are you, a wizard?"

Flynn shrugged, his hands held up in surrender. "I don't know. I'm a pretty bad wizard if I am one, though. That's all I can do."

"Prove it," I challenged him. 

"Alright," he said. "Well, your name is Robin, but hers is definitely not Seth."

"It's Aurora," she said. I shot her a dirty look. 

"Nice to meet you, Aurora," he said, bowing his head. "That's a much prettier name than Seth."

"You better not tell anyone," I warned him. "Or I'll gut you and you can wear your intestines as a necklace."

"Okay, okay," he said, laughing. "I won't tell anyone. Why would I? They might move me to a different room."

"You've got a very cavalier attitude for someone who might be dead in two seconds," I said.

"You wouldn't kill me," he said scornfully. "Hook would hear about it."

"It might have been an accident," I said. "You snuck up on me. Reflexes. Accidents happen. I'll be sorry. I'll even cry a little."

"Suit yourself," he said, shrugging. "I swear I won't tell."

"On what?" I demanded.

"On my mother's grave," he said seriously, raising his right hand.

"Your mother is dead?" I asked.

"Yes," he said solemnly. "I put her there myself."

"You killed your own mother?" asked Aurora, disgusted.

Flynn shrugged. "She was a witch. She was going to sell my sister for magical beans. What could I do?"

"You have a sister?"

He nodded. "A beautiful one, too. She's sixteen as of last week."

"I have a sister too," said Aurora. "She's seventeen."

"Alright, alright," I said. "Enough bonding. I want to make sure this kid is telling the truth."

"Go ahead," he said, crossing his arms. "Try me."

"Okay," I said, thinking fast. "I'm nineteen years old. My father was the town baker. I can do magic."

"Easy," he said. "You're not nineteen years old."

"How old am I?" I demanded.

"I don't know," he said with a shrug. "That's not one of my powers."

"Alright," I said. "I'm twenty."

He nodded. "And I'm nineteen."

"You look very young."

"Yes, well, I've had to grow up fast."

"And why is that?"

He shrugged. "My father left us when I was seven. My mother was always obsessed with getting more power, so I ran away when I was thirteen. When I was fifteen I came back for my sister, but she didn't want to come with me. And I've been sailing with Hook ever since."

"Really?"

He nodded. "Hook is obsessed with finding a place called Neverland. According to him, there is a fountain of eternal youth there, and the island is populated with orphan boys."

"That doesn't sound like fun," I remarked.

"That may be, but everyone in Hook's family has died before they were thirty," said Flynn. "And he thinks it's a curse. So naturally he wants to go away and find somewhere to live out his years in peace."

"Well, I wish him the best of luck then," I said. "But let's talk about you."

"What about me?" asked Flynn. "I've told you everything already."

"What about why you've decided to follow Hook?" 

"I don't know, he's a good man," said Flynn defensively. "And I don't got nowhere else to go, okay?"

"Really?"

"Yeah," he said, looking dejected. "I don't have anywhere to call my home. The Whore's Daughter is the closest thing I have, and the crew is what I call family. It's sad but it's true, okay?"

"I believe you," I said finally. "But remember this: I have magic too. And I could kill you without batting an eye, and make it look like an accident."

"I believe you too," he said quickly. "Believe me, I do. You're the most powerful magic person I've met in ages."

"I am?" I asked, remembering Elena's words. "How can you tell?"

He shrugged. "It just wafts off you in waves, like perfume."

"And what else can you tell?"

"Nothing much," he admitted. "But I can tell that you are in love. And you would do anything for whoever it is."

"That's true," I told him.

He nodded. "Whoever it is is very lucky to have you."

Chapter Forty: Jezebel

We sailed for two weeks after that. Aurora's and my hands grew painful blisters, which popped and became callouses. Our arms and legs grew hard and wiry with muscles, and our pale skin were browned by the sun while our hair was bleached. We learned the ropes around the ships, how to row for hours on end when there was no wind, how to fall asleep as soon as our heads hit our hammocks, only to wake up three hours later and do it all over again.

To our surprise, we became fast friends with Flynn, who, true to his word, did not reveal our identities to anyone else. We ate our meals together, and when there were no tasks for us to do, the three of us would sit in our room together, talking and laughing.

It turned out that Flynn was the illegitimate son of a minor sorceress who made a living telling fortunes and scamming sailors. He himself only had enough magic for him to discern truth from lies, but this had gotten him through his early life largely unscathed. The only person he seemed to care about was his younger sister, and he talked about her incessantly.

"I'm not sure if I'll ever see her again, honestly," he told us one night as we prepared ourselves for sleep.

"Why's that?" I asked.

"Well, sailing around with Hook is not a particularly safe way to pass the time," he said. "I'm pretty sure that one of these days I might fall overboard, or else we might run into pirates and I'll get my throat cut."

"Not if I can help it," I told him reassuringly. "Stick with us, and we will protect you from pirates."

He laughed. "That would hardly be chivalrous of me, hiding behind your skirts."

"We don't wear skirts," Aurora pointed out.

"Land ho!" a voice shouted from above. The three of us raced up the steps to see a sight that wasn't sea. Indeed, we were pulling into a harbor, and we leaned far over the railing, stretching our necks to get a better view.

"Welcome to Trieste," said Hook from behind us. "Isn't she beautiful?"

We nodded silently, happy to see land at last.

"Here's the plan," Hook told us as we set up the gangplank and began to disembark. "You find a place to stay for the night, and we leave at noon tomorrow. There should be a few inns around here. Some of them will even provide company if you know what I mean."

There were a few lewd chuckles, and I rolled my eyes. Flynn followed Hook, whom he hero-worshiped, and Aurora and I set about exploring the busy marketplace. We saw a snakecharmer, a fortune teller, and a number of older men playing chess in the streets. We bought some street food, which turned out to be delicious, and entertained ourselves with looking at the beautiful clothes set out by merchants.

"Gentlemen," called a sweet voice from a door. "Are you looking for a place to stay tonight?"

We looked up, and there was a beautiful woman with dark hair and wide, gorgeous green eyes. She wore a long green kirtle that fell smoothly over her sensuous curves.

"Yes, we are, actually," I said. "Do you know of one?"

She nodded, pushing the door open behind her. "Come on in."

Aurora nudged me. "I think she's one of those who will provide company, Robin."

I shrugged. "Do you have any better ideas?"

Aurora scowled, and we followed the woman into her house, which was decorated richly with all manner of ornaments. I stopped to admire a small shrine dedicated to a voluptuous goddess who was naked except for a small triangle around her genitals.

"That's Inanna," the woman said. "We worship her as the goddess of love, war, fertility and lust."

"She's very beautiful," I said, admiring her full, plump breasts.

The woman nodded. "May I offer you anything to drink? I have tea, of course."

"Yes, please," I said. "That would be lovely."

"My name is Jezebel," the woman told us, as she poured hot water into cups filled with leaves. "And what should I call you?"

"My name is Robin," I told her. "And this is Seth."

"Good, strong names," said Jezebel approvingly. "And where are you from?"

"We set sail from the Ice Kingdom," I said, sipping at the tea, which was very strong and bitter. "We were seeking an audience with the Snow Queen, Arya."

"A famous ruler," said Jezebel, nodding. "She is known for her wisdom throughout the lands."

"Yes, and she has a very useful mirror."

"The mirror of reason? It's famous as well. The spirit who inhabits it used to be a powerful sorceress herself, but she was cursed to reside in that glass alone."

"Elena?" I asked. "What happened to her?"

Jezebel shrugged. "This was a long time ago, years before my time. But I would guess that she slighted some romantic interest, and the boy cursed her for an eternity."

"That's very sad," I said.

"Yes, well, that is the danger of being a woman in this world," sighed Jezebel. "Not that it's a problem that comes up in my line of work."

"And what is your line of work?" asked Aurora.

Jezebel smiled, her long lashes fluttering. "Why, pleasure, of course."

"So you're a prostitute?" I asked bluntly.

She laughed sweetly. "I prefer the term courtesan."

"But you have no court."

"Ah," she said, gesturing around her. "This is my court. This is my kingdom, and it is here that I am queen. If you will allow me, I will show you the ways of love."

I exchanged glances with Aurora, who looked apprehensive.

"And all this at a price, I suppose? We have no money," I told her.

She shook her head. "There is something unique about you two. I imagine you will pay me in due time, even if it's not in coins."

I looked at Aurora, who shrugged. "Alright then, that sounds good."

"Very well, gentlemen," she said, rising to her feet. "I'll show you to your rooms."

Chapter Forty One: The Goddess of Lust

Jezebel led us up a narrow set of stairs into a small room with two beds covered in thick violet and blue covers. She closed the door behind us and smiled at us.

"Is this your first time then, gentlemen?"

"Um," I started. "We're not actually gentlemen."

"Oh?" she arched one perfect eyebrow.

"Yes, we're women, actually."

"Ah," she nodded. "I rarely service women in my establishment, but I suppose exceptions can be made."

She looked me up and down, and pushed me backwards onto the bed and began unbuttoning my shirt. She pulled my tunic over my head until I was bare from the waist up except for my binder, which she unwrapped slowly, letting her fingers linger over my breasts. I crossed my arms over my chest, and she took my wrists and placed them over my head, tying them loosely with the binder.

I looked at Aurora, who looked as baffled as I did.

Then, Jezebel started on my pants, which she unbuckled and pulled down, tossing them aside. I wore shorts underneath, which she unlaced and removed, so that I was completely naked. I squirmed lightly, but she mounted me, sitting astride my hips and pressing her hands down on my shoulders.

"Now, let's see if I can't teach you a thing or two," she said, smiling. And with that, she leaned down and began kissing me.

These were kisses unlike any I'd ever experienced. When I'd kissed Adam it had been tender and loving. Jezebel's kisses were hard and sensual, demanding and ungenerous. She bit my lip, hard, and I felt blood in my mouth. She began moving down to my neck, to my breasts, and she ran her tongue roughly over my nipples, and a jolt of electricity ran up and down my spine.

As she kissed my breasts, she ran her fingers down my stomach and toward my genitals, which she began stroking gently. I shuddered, and I could feel myself growing wet down there. I groaned as she rubbed my clitoris, and inserted two fingers inside me. She sprinkled kisses down my stomach until her head was between my legs, and she began to kiss me down there. I could feel her tongue running warm and wet over my vulva, and a strange tingling sensation filled my body.

When she finished I lay there, breathless and spent, my body damp with sweat. She pushed back her hair and gave me a smile.

"I bet no one's ever done that for you, have they?"

I shook my head, wordless.

"And how can I help you, my lady?" she said to Aurora with a light curtsey. Aurora looked stunned. Laughing, Jezebel led Aurora by the hand to the bed, pushed her down, and began kissing her on the mouth. Aurora looked surprised for a moment, but then her eyes closed and she began to kiss Jezebel back. Jezebel pulled Aurora's tunic over her head and swiftly undid her binding, and she began running her hands gently over her ample breasts. Her hands strayed to Aurora's pants, and began to undo the strings there.

There was a flash of metal, and Aurora had Jezebel pressed against the wall, a knife pressed to her throat.

"Don't," she said. Jezebel was flushed bright red, but Aurora was pale as a ghost.

"As you wish, my lady," said Jezebel, not meeting her eyes.

"Get out," said Aurora, pushing her away.

"Yes, my lady."

"Touch me again, and I'll kill you," she said flatly, in a voice I'd never heard her use before.

Jezebel bowed gracefully, and turning on her heel, she left the room, shutting the door behind us.

"What was that about?" I asked, staring at her. Aurora pushed her hair back nonchalantly.

"It just wasn't my thing," she said coolly.

"Um, okay, but did you really have to pull a knife on her?"

"Instinct," she said, shrugging. "I'm starving. How about we find some food?"

"Whatever you want," I said, still stunned.

We left the brothel and headed to the marketplace, where we found Flynn sitting by himself, nursing a black eye and a bloody nose.

"What happened to you?" I asked.

He waved his hand noncommittally. "Oh, someone insulted my mother, so I had to teach them a thing or two."

"They knew your mother?"

He nodded. "She's not the most popular person around here."

"Why's that?"

"We used to live here when I was younger, and she conned a lot of men out of their money. Honestly, everything they said was accurate, I just didn't like hearing it." He touched his nose gently, and it seemed to be broken.

"Come here," I said, tilting his face upwards. I ran my hand over his eye and his nose, imagining the blood vessels and skin knitting together under my fingers. I imagined his skin, smooth and unmarred, and I gave a mental _push_.

"Whoa," he said, rubbing his nose and eye. "That was amazing."

"Thanks," I said modestly. Even Aurora looked impressed.

"Have you done that before?" he asked.

I shook my head. "If I knew I could do that I wouldn't have promised my firstborn to Rumplestiltskin."

He looked impressed. "Wow, that sucks. I guess you should just not have children then."

"That's one possibility," I said. We called a waiter over to our table and placed our orders.

"No way," said Aurora. "She and Adam have to have little furry babies together."

We laughed, and when our drinks arrived, we drank to exciting journeys and new adventures.

Chapter Forty Two: Peter

The next morning we left without saying goodbye to Jezebel. I remembered how she said we would pay her somehow, and I felt bad for leaving without giving her anything. Still, Aurora looked furious when I brought it up, so I fell silent and followed her to the ship.

Hook was on deck already, looking triumphant. At his feet knelt a small boyish figure, with his hands bound behind his back, and a dark hood over his head. Hook kicked him in the ribs, and whoever it was fell over with a shout of pain.

"Who's that?" I asked.

"That, my friends, is the person who is going to take us to Neverland," Hook answered gleefully. "I'll show you once we cast off."

The crew rushed about, pulling up the anchors and setting up the sails. About an hour later, we were sailing in the wide open sea, and only then did Hook beckon us to gather around.

"Behold," he said, pulling the hood off the captive's head.

It was a boy, no older than eighteen, with white blonde hair and blue eyes. He had a smooth, childish face, and his nose had been bloodied. He looked about coolly, showing no signs of fear.

"Hello, Peter," said Hook mockingly. "Welcome aboard."

"It's a pleasure," Peter drawled.

"Um," I said. "Are we supposed to know who he is?"

"Allow me to introduce my friend here," said Hook, pulling the boy to his feet by his arms.

"We aren't friends," said Peter unnecessarily.

"I was being nice," said Hook. "This here is Peter Pan. Now, he may seem like a harmless little boy, but do not be fooled. He is a vicious, evil demon. He was wicked long before you were born, and he will be long after you are dead. So beware. Don't talk to him, don't make eye contact with him, don't touch him, and certainly don't listen to anything he says."

"Then why is he here?" asked Flynn.

"Because," said Hook, shaking Peter for emphasis. "He knows where Neverland is, and he's going to take us there."

"But I thought we weren't supposed to listen to anything he says?" said Flynn.

"That's right," said Hook. "Well, most of you, anyway. Flynn, it's your job to tell me if this bastard is telling the truth. Robin, you and Seth can guard him in the hole for now. Take him down."

"Why us?" I asked. Hook scowled at me.

"Because I said so. Take out your sword and don't be afraid to use it against him. Just keep him alive."

"Seth," he said, stopping Aurora with a hand. "I want you to question him. Find out where he's been, where he's going, why he was in Trieste. Ask him where Neverland is. I trust that won't be difficult for you."

"No sir," said Aurora.

"Use force if necessary," said Hook.

And the four of us – Aurora, Flynn, Peter, and me – headed downstairs. Flynn chained Peter to some planks, and the three of us regarded him curiously.

"Well?" asked Peter thickly, through his broken nose. "Aren't you going to question me?"

"Do you want me to fix your nose first?" I asked.

He shrugged. "If you really can do such a thing."

I ran my hand over his face, and did the same thing I'd done for Flynn. His nose snapped back into place with a pop, and he rubbed the dried blood with his hand, surprised.

"Wow, that was amazing," he said, impressed.

"Thank you," I said.

"But don't think I won't break it again," said Aurora, slapping a large stick against her palm. "So you better start talking."

"What would you like to know?" he said sweetly.

"Well, for starters, who are you?" asked Flynn. "How did you get on Hook's bad side? And what's your relation to Neverland?"

"That's easy," said Peter. "My name is Peter Pan. And if Neverland had a king, I'd be it. As for Hook, I have no idea."

"That's a lie," said Flynn sharply. Aurora slapped the club against her hand threateningly.

"Magic too, are you?" said Peter with raised eyebrows. "Alright then. Hook and I do have a bit of a history, I'll admit. A long time ago, he had a younger brother. And I may have kidnapped said brother. Naturally, he wasn't too pleased."

"Why would you kidnap Hook's brother?" I asked.

Peter shrugged. "He wanted to leave, honestly. Hook didn't have a particularly happy childhood himself. I bet he was just jealous that I didn't take him. But at that point, he was already too old."

Peter looked around at us, a mischievous look in his eyes. "Well, enough about me, what about you? Why don't we make this a little give and take, huh?"

"That's not how this works," Aurora told him brusquely.

"Alright then," sighed Peter, feigning defeat. "I guess I'll just have to talk about you myself." He grinned at me. "Let's start with Robin, shall we?"

"How did you know my name?" I demanded.

He laughed. "Many people know your name, my dear. In fact, there are prophesies about you, and how you're going to come along and change everything."

"Me?" I asked, stunned.

"You," he answered. "You're the one. Why do you think you got sent to live with the beast? Or that you were the one to wake up Aurora? How do you think you were able to escape that fire? Or the fall down that cliff?"

"How do you know about that?"

"I know everything," he said mysteriously. "I know all about you, Robin. I know where you've been, and I know where you're going too. And if you let me, I'll help you get there."

Chapter Forty Three: Neverland

"Is he lying?" I demanded.

Flynn shook his head. "No, he's telling the truth. Or at least, he believes he is."

"Who told you about the cliff?" I asked, shaking him by the collar. "I never told anyone any of that."

"You didn't need to," he said calmly. "I saw it myself."

"What did you see?"

"Wonderful things," he said, lowering his voice to a whisper. "Things you wouldn't believe. Things about you, Robin."

"Not that you're the only one with secrets," he said, nodding at Aurora. "Your friend here has a few of her own, doesn't she?"

"Don't fuck with me," Aurora said warningly. "I'll make that broken nose look like a foot massage."

Peter laughed. "Why haven't you told Robin yet, Aurora? Who knows, maybe she'll return your affections."

Aurora blushed a deep red.

"What is he talking about?" I asked.

"He's lying," Flynn said, a little too quickly. He didn't meet my eye.

"I'll let you two sort that out," Peter said gleefully. "Now, as for our dear little Flynn over here. What secrets do you have hidden behind that adorable little façade?"

"You don't know me," Flynn told Peter coldly.

"I beg to differ," said Peter. "For starters, I know about that girl you were in love with, and how she was betrothed to another. And I know what you did to her betrothed, when she asked you."

All of the blood drained out of Flynn's face.

"That's enough," came a voice from the stairs. It was Hook, and he was looking disgusted.

"You've tormented my crew enough for the day," he told Peter, tightening the chains behind his back. Gag him, Seth."

Aurora complied, stuffing a thick section of rope into Peter's mouth.

"You three take a break," he said. "I've got a few private words for Peter."

We returned to our rooms, and Flynn closed the door behind us.

"What did you do?" I asked him.

"I stole a bag of gold and put it with his belongings," Flynn said in a hollow voice. "They caught him and had one of his hands chopped off. He was a pianist."

"That was pretty awful of you," I observed.

"I didn't think they'd actually take his hands," he said, climbing into his hammock. "I just thought they would fine him and let him go, and then my girlfriend's father wouldn't want him to marry her anymore."

"What happened to her?"

He shrugged. "I think she was married off to another old rich guy. She killed herself a year later. Jumped off a bridge."

"I'm sorry," I said.

"All hands on deck!" Hook called from above. The three of us ran up the stairs and took our positions, ready to navigate the ship wherever Hook wanted.

"We have coordinates," Hook told us gleefully. "For Neverland."

We sailed nonstop for a day and a night, and none of us slept, except in small catnaps whenever Hook wasn't looking. He was like a man possessed. As far as we could tell, he did not rest or eat or drink at all. He spent all his time at the helm, studying his compass and his map, searching for land through his telescope.

"Land ho!" someone yelled, on the morning of the third day. "Land ho!"

And sure enough, an island appeared on the horizon, a small green disk at first, but as we sailed closer we could see that it was huge and covered with jungle. We dropped anchor a little bit off the shore, and rowed to shore in small boats.

"Sweet land," said Flynn, falling to his knees upon the sand. "I've missed you so."

Aurora laughed and ran to hug a tree. I lay on my back on the warm beach, feeling the soft grains between my fingers and toes.

"Let's never leave," said Flynn. "It's so beautiful here."

"You'll think twice about that after you spend a few nights here," said Hook. "Be on your guard. We're in his land now." He jerked his head towards Peter, who had been bound and gagged, a hood placed over his head again. His hands were tied with rope, with which Hook led him about. He stumbled as Hook gave the rope a sharp tug.

"So what are we here for, captain?" one of the shipmates asked.

"The Fountain of Youth, gentlemen," said Hook grandly. "Is somewhere upon this island. And our friend here is going to help us find it."

"How exactly does this fountain work?" I asked apprehensively. "Do you have to drink from it continuously, or is one time enough? Do you stay at the age you were when you drank it or do you get younger? Are there any negative side effects?"

Hook frowned at me. "You ask too many questions, Robin."

I shrugged. "Magic always comes at a price."

Hook ignored me. "Now, everyone spread out and start searching. Look for caves, or sources of water. No one drink anything until I give the okay."

Aurora, Flynn and I set inland, tramping through the thick underbrush. I led the way, slashing at the flora with my sword. We were surrounded by an eerie silence. Not even birds sang in those empty blue skies.

"Does this place freak any of you out?" asked Flynn.

"I don't like the silence, that's for sure," said Aurora.

"Look!" I held out an arm.

Before us was a waterfall that dropped what must have been a mile. It hung like a suspended sheet of silver or glass, and fell into a small pond surrounded by verdant plants and blooming flowers. In the middle of the pond was a small fountain, made of what looked to be solid gold.

"Looks like we've found the fountain of youth," I breathed.

Chapter Forty Four: The Fountain of Youth

"Whoa," said Flynn softly. "I've heard of this thing my entire life. Hook never stops talking about it." He leapt down to the side of the pond. "Here, give me your knife."

Aurora handed Flynn her knife, and he cut his hand with the blade.

"Let's see if the stories are true." He plunged his hand into the water. To our surprise, the water did not turned red with his blood, but rather glowed a gentle blue-green. When Flynn drew his hand out again, the cut had healed.

"Wicked," said Aurora, impressed.

"Are you gonna drink it?" I asked Flynn.

He shrugged. "Eternal youth? I don't know if I'd be down with that."

"Why?" asked Aurora. "I mean, what could go wrong?"

"A lot of things," he said. "Like, the world could end or something and you could still be stuck here, floating around. Or everyone you love could die, and you'd be left behind."

"That's kind of dark, Flynn," I said.

"Well, you have to think about these things before you go drinking out of fountains blindly," he said.

"Should we call for Hook then?" asked Aurora.

"No need," said Hook, emerging from the underbrush from behind us. He was still dragging Peter with him, who looked calm as ever.

"I see you've found my fountain," said Peter.

"So this is it, eh?" said Hook, rubbing his hands together like a storybook villain. "This is your secret."

"I suppose you know the answer to that," said Peter coolly.

"How do we know he's not lying?" asked Aurora.

"He's not," Flynn said. "Still, there's something funny here."

"What's that?" I asked.

"I don't know," Flynn said. "I just don't like this at all. Are you sure you want to do this, Hook?"

Hook nodded. "I've been waiting for this moment ever since I was a boy, and the bastard before you right now kidnapped my brother."

"What happened to your brother?" I asked.

"Peter took him," said Hook bitterly. "Why don't you ask him?"

"He's on this island somewhere," said Peter reassuringly. "Happy without you, I'm sure."

Hook growled, and jerked the chain, forcing Peter to his knees. Peter laughed. "You can't kill me. I'm immortal, remember?"

"We'll see about that," Hook said, pulling out his sword and resting the tip of the blade against Peter's neck.

"Trust me," Peter said softly. "I've tried."

Hook lowered his sword, looking surprised.

"Oh yes, gentlemen," said Peter, rising to his feet. "Eternal youth is not the party you think it will be. Indeed, most of it is a drag. Time moves slower for me, actually, and there are few things I look forward to anymore."

"Whose fault is that?" asked Hook. "You could have done something useful with your sorry life."

"But I did," said Peter. "I've devoted my life to helping poor lost boys find a place to belong. This island, in fact. That's why I was in Trieste. So many orphans, so little time."

"You disgust me," Hook said. "You enchant those boys so that they have no choice but to come with you. You're no better than a kidnapper."

"Not true," said Peter. "Although perhaps you'd like to believe that your precious little brother would have chosen you over me. But he was dreadfully happy. Both of you were, actually. I'm sorry I couldn't take both of you, but that's the way life goes sometime."

"Tell me where he is," Hook said, shoving his face up close to Peter's. "Tell me where my brother is, and I'll kill you quickly."

"No can do, captain," said Peter, looking unruffled. "Though he's somewhere on this island, I'll give you that. Although, even if you do find him, how do you know he'll still want to be with you? How do you know he hasn't forgotten you altogether?"

"He's my brother," said Hook angrily. "He'll always want to be with me."

Peter shrugged. "I suppose you can ask him yourself then."

"Where is he?" Hook demanded, shaking Peter roughly.

Peter jerked his head across the pond. "Their camp is on the other side of the river. Under the tall sycamore tree. You can't miss it."

Hook shoved Peter into my arms. "You three take care of this bastard. I don't care what you do to him. Make sure he's ready to talk when I get back."

And then Hook dove into the pond and began swimming to the other side.

I pushed Peter away from me. "So, how did you find Neverland and the fountain?" I asked, shoving him to the ground.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" sneered Peter. I kicked him sharply in the ribs.

"Talk," I told him. "I'm not messing around."

"Alright, alright," he said. "I was a stowaway, a long time ago, maybe two hundred years back. And when they discovered me, they left me stranded on this island. I drank from this pond by mistake, and I've been immortal ever since."

"Is he telling the truth?" I asked Flynn.

Flynn nodded. "It seems like it." 

"Good," I said, nudging Peter with my foot. "So what else do you know about this fountain? How does it work? Where did it come from?"

"There was a witch," said Peter. "Some say a sorceress, others say a fairy. Some say she was an angel, or a star, who fell. In any case, she came to this place by some means or another, and she found this fountain. Some say she blessed it, others say it was a curse. But there you go."

"Who was she?" I asked.

"They called her Tinkerbell," said Peter.

Chapter Forty Five: Tinkerbell

"We should find Hook," I said, after a while. The captain had still not returned and I was starting to worry.

"Let me out of these chains and we can swim over," said Peter, rattling his wrists in front of him.

"How stupid do you think I am?" I scoffed. "We'll walk across."

"Over what?" he said incredulously.

I nodded my head over my shoulder, and a tall tree fell neatly across the river with a loud crash.

"Over that," I said, pushing him towards our makeshift bridge. The four of us crossed easily, and made our way towards the sycamore. Hook was sitting crosslegged under the tree, looking angry.

"You lied to me, Pan," he said, rising to his feet. He hovered menacingly over Peter, his hands balled into fists. "I don't see my brother."

"That's because he isn't here yet," said Peter calmly. "But he'll come."

"When?" demanded Hook.

"When he's called," said Peter. And then he gave a single high whistle. There was a rustling from the trees, and five or six boys stepped out from the underbrush. They were dressed head to toe in green, and they were barefoot. All of them had arrows pointed menacingly in our direction.

"See him yet?" said Peter.

"Phillip!" shouted Hook, looking around. "It's me, your brother, Ethan. Where are you, Philip?"

Peter gave another whistle, and one boy stepped forward. He did look a bit like Hook, except he was blonde and slightly shorter.

"Phillip!" cried Hook, looking amazed. "It's me, don't you recognize me? I'm your brother."

"I don't have a brother," said Phillip coldly, his arrow still directed at Hook. "I've never seen you in my life."

Hook's face fell. "No, brother," he said gently. "We grew up together, with our mother, Elizabet, remember? We used to play hide and seek in the woods by our home."

"I grew up here," said Phillip. "I never knew my mother, and I certainly don't have a brother."

"Well," said Peter, sneering cruelly. "It seems we should keep this heartwarming family reunion short. Go ahead, Phillip."

"No!" I cried, but it was too late. Phillip loosed his arrow, and it flew straight and true, embedding itself with a thunk in Hook's abdomen. Hook stared at the arrow for a moment, then sank to his knees, his face expressionless.

"What have you done?" I cried, rushing to his side. I pulled the arrow out and threw it aside, running my hands frantically over the wound in his stomach. I tried to find the push, but nothing happened.

"What's going on? I don't understand it," I said. "I can't heal him."

"He's been poisoned," said Peter calmly. "The boys rub the oil of the poison dart frogs over their arrows. Since the frogs swim in the fountain, their poison repels magic."

"We've got to do something," I said imploringly, looking at Aurora and Flynn. "Let's get him to the river."

Aurora took his legs, and Flynn and I supported his upper body. The three of us rushed him to the pond, and gently slid him into the water. To our dismay, the water turned a ghastly black, mixed with the red of Hook's blood.

"Help us!" I demanded of Peter, as we dragged him back out of the water. "How do we save him?"

Peter sighed. "As loathe I am to help my nemesis, I'll tell you this. There is one person who can help him, and that's Tinkerbell. As you know, Robin, magic always has a price, and hers are especially steep."

"We'll pay it," I said decidedly. "Take us to her." Hook's eyes were beginning to flutter closed, and his breathing was shallow and labored. I ripped my shirt in to long strips and tied them around his wound to slow the bleeding. Flynn lifted Hook and placed him over his shoulders, and I did my best to use my magic to help keep him up. We followed Peter down the river and into the forrest.

After a half hour walk, we came to a small cove, where the underbrush thinned out and it looked like someone had lived there recently. Peter looked around, and called, "Come out, Tinkerbell! You have guests!"

There was a shimmering over the water, and suddenly a tall woman appeared before us, with wild, tangled blonde hair and eyes dancing with madness.

"Hello, Pan," she said in a singsong voice. "How can I help you today?"

Peter jerked his head towards Flynn. "That fellow's been shot with a poison dart arrow. For reasons unbeknownst to me, these three want to keep him alive. Robin here's willing to pay the price."

"You?" said Tinkerbell, swaying before me as if she were dancing to some unheard music. "What can you offer me, little girl?"

"I've got a lot of magic," I told her quickly. "You must help him. He's losing a lot of blood."

"We have time to talk," she told me slowly. "I could bring him back from the dead if I wanted."

I stared at her, unbelieving. "You'll help us then?"

"Perhaps," she said, in her musical voice. "If you'll grant me a favor."

"What favor?" I asked warily.

"I want you," she said, staring me straight in the eye. "To kill me."

I gaped at her. "You want me to what?"

"That's right," she said, smiling. "I want you to kill me. It's simple. Kill me, and I save your friend. Do we have a deal?"

"I-" I stammered.

"Yes, we'll take it," said Aurora, pushing Flynn towards her. "Now do something for Hook."

Tinkerbell moved gracefully around Hook, whom Flynn laid gently on the ground. She began to hum a tuneless melody, one that sounded ancient but somehow familiar. It was warm and cheerful. It sang of how good it was to be alive, how wonderful to feel your heart thud merrily along. It sang of health and love and friendship and all that was good.

And then, by some miracle, the wound in Hook's side began to close. His breathing returned to normal, although his eyes remained closed.

"He'll recover soon enough," Tinkerbell told me. "Now, for your side of the deal."

"But," I said. "First, won't you tell us why you want this?"

Tinkerbell's eyes were hooded. "I've lived far too long. I've loved and lost more than I could bear, and it's time for me to sleep at last."

"I'm not sure how," I said hesitantly. "I've never killed anyone like this before."

"Use your magic," she said, closing her eyes. "Do it quick."

I placed my hand against her chest, and closed my eyes. I felt her heart beating against my palm, and I willed it to stop. I found that special place where magic happens, and gave that vital push. And then, I felt her collapse sideways before me, her lips curled in a gentle smile.

Chapter Forty Six: Gray Hairs

There was a strange, rushing sensation as Tinkerbell exhaled her last breath and lay still on the ground.

"What was that?" I said, looking around.

"I didn't feel anything," said Aurora.

"I felt it," said Flynn, shivering.

"It was the magic leaving," said Peter. "She was everything that was magic about this place. Now it's just another island."

"Then, the fountain?" I asked. We made our way back to the fountain, supporting Hook, who was starting to come to. I cut my thumb on my sword, and dipped it in the water. We watched in dismay as the blood colored the water with red streaks.

"So, the fountain of youth is no more?" asked Hook weakly.

"Looks like it," I said.

"Why couldn't you have killed her after I got a taste, eh?" he snarled at me.

"You were dying," I told him. "I had to give her what she wanted."

Hook looked furious. "All these years, all that traveling. Tracking this bastard to the ends of the earth. All for nothing."

I shrugged. "I'm sorry, Hook."

"Ethan!" a voice cried from the bushes. Phillip came crashing through, looking like he'd just seen a ghost.

"Phillip!" breathed Hook, staring at his brother. The two stood still for a moment, and then fell into each other's arms, hugging and crying.

"I've missed you so much," said Hook, his voice muffled into Phillip's shoulder.

"I'm so sorry, Ethan," cried Phillip. "I didn't recognize you. I'm sorry for shooting you."

"Come with me," said Hook, holding his brother at arm's length. "Come with me, and we can go wherever you like together."

Phillip nodded. "I'd go anywhere for you, brother."

The two of them headed back to the ship, arms linked together. The four of us followed in silence.

"Looks like it wasn't a waste after all," I remarked. Aurora nodded.

"I know what it's like to lose a sibling," she said distantly. "I'm glad they found each other."

"Where will we go next?" asked Flynn.

"Well, Aurora and I will go to Aeaea," I said. "And I'm not sure what Peter wants to do. Or you."

"I will stay here," said Peter. "My lost boys need me. This is my home."

"Even without the magic?" I asked.

"There are other sources of magic," he told me mysteriously. "I'll walk you back to the ship, though."

And so the four of us found our way back, linked by unexpected friendship. We walked in comfortable silence, cherishing these last few moments together.

"Well," said Peter, as we finally reached the beach. "I can't say it's been a complete pleasure, but I'm glad I met you."

We shook hands. "Yeah, nice meeting you too." Something in his hair caught my eye. I reached out and plucked one of his hairs.

"Look," I said, holding it out. "Your first gray hair."

He laughed. "Not bad for two hundred and fifty years, eh?"

"How will you deal with aging?"

He shrugged. "Everyone has to grow up eventually. I've had a longer childhood than most. It's time for whatever life brings me next."

He shook hands with Aurora and Flynn, and disappeared into the forest.

"Well then," I said, as we boarded the ship. "What's next for us?"

"Us?" echoed Flynn.

"Yeah," said Aurora. "You're coming with us, aren't you?"

"You'll have me?" asked Flynn in astonishment.

I laughed. "You couldn't get rid of us if you tried."

"I'd love to come with you," he said, grinning widely.

"Well, next stop, Aeaea," I said, leaning my elbows on the side of the ship, the wind blowing my hair back.

"Aeaea is two days to the east," said Hook from behind us. "We can drop you off there, but you are welcome to continue sailing with us if you wish."

I shook my head. "This is the final task," I told him. "And then I can go home and remove the curse."

"And then?" asked Flynn. "What will you do when you're done with all your adventures."

I laughed. "I don't think I'll ever be done with all my adventures. Something will come up, I promise."

"Well," said Flynn shyly. "I'd love to meet Adam and all of your other friends. They sound lovely."

"They'd love to meet you too!" said Aurora. "You'll love it back home, I promise."

And so we sailed on, for two whole days, until we saw a beautiful island emerge upon the horizon.

"Here's where I leave you then," said Hook, regretfully. "Are you sure you won't sail with me, Flynn?"

Flynn shook his head. "We've come to the end of our travels together, Hook. It's been swell, though."

Hook nodded, shaking his hand. "And as for you ladies," he said, turning to Aurora and me. "Take care of him, will you?"

"How did you know?" I asked, stunned.

He laughed. "I knew the moment you shook my hand. No man has palms that soft or fingers that slender."

He hugged me, and kissed Aurora on the cheek. Flynn, Aurora and I stood upon the shore and watched The Whore's Daughter disappear over the horizon.

Chapter Forty Seven: Cersei

"What next?" asked Aurora, turning to me.

I shrugged. "I guess we can explore the island. But Medusa is said to have a head of snakes that will turn you to stone if you look at her, so watch out."

"What are we supposed to do about that?" asked Flynn nervously.

"Well, you can use mirrors," I told him. "But just close your eyes if you hear anything moving around."

"Where does she live?" asked Aurora.

"No idea," I said. "There's also a witch named Cersei, and we're supposed to avoid her."

"Why on earth would you want to do that?"

I spun around. There was a tall woman with dark brown hair, leaning casually against a tree. She wore a long blue dress, and a bemused expression on her face.

"Who are you?" I asked.

"Cersei, at your service," she said with a graceful curtsey.

"What do you want?" I asked, hostilely.

"I should be asking you that," she said pointedly. "Seeing how you are on my island?"

"I'm Aurora," said Aurora, holding out her hand. "And this is Flynn, and Robin. We're here to look for Medusa."

Cersei looked at Aurora's hand in puzzlement, and Aurora dropped it awkwardly.

"What do you want with Medusa?" asked Cersei. "Are you here to kill her?" She sounded hopeful.

"No," I said. "We just want one of her hairs. Or snakes. Whichever. It's to make a potion that will end a curse."

"I see," said Cersei, sounding disappointed. "Well, unfortunately for you I have no idea where she lives, but you're welcome to stay with me if you like."

I exchanged glances with Aurora. "We're not sure if that's wise."

"What have you heard about me?" Cersei asked curiously.

I shrugged. "Just that we should avoid you if we could help it."

"And who recommended that to you?"

"Elena, of the Mirror of Reason."

"Oh, that old cow," scoffed Cersei. "She'd be afraid of her own shadow if she had one. Don't worry, I won't turn you into pigs."

"You can do that?" I asked, astonished.

"Sure," said Cersei casually. "I turned a whole shipfull of men into pigs, once. But women I like."

Flynn looked nervous, but Cersei laughed and beckoned us to follow. We trailed her through the dense woods until she led us to a small cottage on the banks of a small pond. Trees surrounded the pond and their branches reflected in the waters as if the forest continued underneath the water's surface.

"It's beautiful here," I told Cersei. She smiled and nodded humbly.

"It's not much, but it's enough for me," she said, pushing her door open. The inside of her cottage was surprisingly homey and well lit, with a lovely set of mahogany furniture, and a fireplace with a crackling fire.

"Do you live here alone?" I asked.

She nodded. "I like my solitude, but visitors can be a nice change of pace."

We sat around her round table, and she set a kettle on the stove, and passed us three cups with tea leaves.

"So," she said, lighting a fire beneath the kettle. "What's your story?"

"Well, it's kind of long," I said hesitantly.

She laughed. "I'm not in a hurry."

"Okay," I said. "We're on something of a quest to find three ingredients for a potion that will turn my friend back into a human. He was cursed by a fairy into the form of a beast. So far, we've collected a unicorn's horn, and water from the Lake of Avalon. We traveled to the Ice Kingdom to consult the Mirror of Reason, which told us that we needed to go to Aeaea in order to find Medusa, and we need to take one of her hairs."

"Is that so?" said Cersei, smiling. "What a lovely set of adventures! You must write a novel someday."

Flynn looked at the tea, and shook his head subtly at me. Cersei poured us three steaming cups, but when she busied herself with refilling the kettle, I made the water in our cups disappear.

"Now, why do I get the feeling that there's something you aren't telling me?" she said, studying us curiously.

"I told you everything," I said.

"Mmm," she said noncommittally. "What about your powers, Robin? Why do I sense so much magic coming off of you, like tendrils?"

"What magic?" I said innocently.

She laughed. "Don't try to play dumb with me. I'm a sorceress, you know. Of course I can sense your magic. I could sense it the minute you stepped foot on this island. And you too, Flynn." She nodded at Flynn, who remained silent.

"Okay," I said finally. "We've got a little bit of magic, but nothing too powerful. I can levitate things and set fires. That's all. And Flynn can tell when people are lying. It's nothing big."

She shook her head. "That's not all you can do, Robin. You see, I've heard of you. Many of us have."

"Us?"

"The witches, of course," she exclaimed, as if I were an idiot. "The coven. You must have heard of it."

"No, I'm afraid I haven't."

"Well, there's a lot of us, and together a group of witches are called a coven."

"I know what a coven is," I said impatiently.

"Well, good," she said, smiling. "Because you'll be joining us soon."

"Me!" I said, surprised.

"Of course," she said, matter of factly. "You're to be our queen."

Chapter Forty Eight: The Witch Queen

"Me, a queen?" I exclaimed. "But I'm only a baker's daughter."

Cersei shrugged. "The last queen was a chamber maid, and the one before her was a seamstress."

I looked unconvinced, so she continued. "It matters not who you were or where you come from, Robin. What matters is who you become."

"What if I don't want to be queen?" I protested.

"Don't be ridiculous!" said Aurora. "Who wouldn't want to be queen?"

Cersei smiled at her. "Ah, the pretty girl speaks at last. And here I thought you were just for decoration."

Aurora scowled. "What on earth would give you that idea?"

"I know things about you too, Aurora," said Cersei. "Things about your past, your present, your future. Things about your affections."

Aurora blushed.

"Hey," I said hotly. "If you have a problem with her, you can take it up with me."

Cersei shook her head. "Ah, that would be starting off on the wrong foot, wouldn't it? Besides, we have another guest here." She smiled at Flynn, who looked at me nervously.

"You have a rare talent, little boy," she told him. "Make of it what you will. You're in good company, so I doubt you'll go wrong."

She turned back to me. "Anyway, the current queen is called Katrina. It's not known where she keeps her court, because she moves it continuously to keep us all on our toes. In any case, we discussed you at our last gathering. She's very interested in meeting you, Robin."

"Why's that?" I said cautiously.

"Well, the present and future queens must duel, of course," said Cersei eagerly. "That's how we know the next one is the right one."

"I'm supposed to kill her?" I asked.

"Well, only if you want to," admitted Cersei. "That's what most queens do, but sometimes the new queen will let the old one live, as an advisor or a slave, whichever you like."

"That's not really my style," I said.

She shrugged. "As the new witch queen, you can do whatever you want."

"So, how do we find Medusa?" I asked.

Cersei rose and walked over to the fireplace. She took a glass jar from the mantle, and ran her hands through the ashes until she found what she was looking for, and dropped it into the jar. She tightened a lid around the top and handed it to me. It was a thick black asp, and it hissed angrily at me through the glass.

"This will take you to her in the morning," she told me. "Just follow it, and it will show you its mistress."

"The morning?" I said, disappointed. "We can't leave now?"

"Not unless you want to follow a black snake in the dark."

"I suppose we have to stay here for the night then?" asked Aurora.

"You're certainly welcome to," said Cersei. "I'll show you to your room. Sadly I only have one bed, but it's quite large, so all three of you should fit."

Flynn blushed.

"Maybe I'll just sleep on the floor," I said quickly. "It'll be fine."

"Come see the bed first and then decide," suggested Cersei. She led us down a short corridor, and opened a door on our left. The bed was indeed very large, and it would have easily fit five large men. Aurora and I exchanged glances, and I shrugged.

"I guess this will do then."

"I'll leave you three here then," she said, closing the door behind her. And the three of us were alone.

"Well, I'm exhausted," announced Aurora, climbing in between the sheets. "Good night."

Flynn climbed in on the other side, curled up like a cat, and quickly fell asleep. I climbed between them and lay down in the middle uncomfortable. I found myself staring at the ceiling as the light slowly left the room.

It must have been almost midnight when I finally gave up on trying to fall asleep. I clambered quietly out of bed and crept down the moonlit corridor. I gently opened the door and stepped out of the cottage, admiring the beautiful pond. The moon was reflected in its waters like a bright silver balloon.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" asked Cersei from behind me.

I nodded. "You're very lucky to live here."

She shrugged. "It gets rather lonely. So you couldn't sleep?"

"Yeah, I'm not good at falling asleep in new places, actually."

"I understand," she said sympathetically. "I can offer you a sleeping draught if you like."

"That's okay," I said. "Thanks, though."

"So what will you do to Medusa when you find her?" she asked.

"I don't know," I said honestly. "Just ask her for one of her hairs."

"You're not going to kill her?" she asked.

"No," I said, surprised. "Why would I want to do that?"

"She's not a very nice person," she said evasively.

"A lot of people aren't very nice," I said. "I don't go around killing all of them. Besides, if you have a problem with her, why don't you go sort it out yourself?"

"Witches are forbidden from harming other witches," she told me.

"Then why did you try to poison us earlier?"

Cersei looked surprised, and then laughed. "Oh, the tea! That wasn't poison, it was just a truth serum. I suppose your friend Flynn told you that."I nodded.

"He must be a useful companion," she said.

Streaks of pink and purple were beginning to appear in the eastern sky.

"I suppose I better get some sleep," I told Cersei.

She nodded. "You have a long day ahead of you."

Chapter Forty Nine: Medusa

After a few hours of restless sleep, the three of us rolled groggily out of bed and went on our way. We took the jar with the asp with us. When we reached the edge of the forest, I opened the jar and placed it carefully on the ground. The asp slithered out of its container and into the forest, with us in pursuit.

The woods were dark and deep, and several times we almost lost the asp, before Aurora got the idea to tie a bright red ribbon around it. We followed it to the edge of a hole, and it slipped inside into the darkness.

"Well, I guess that's where Medusa is," I said.

"You're not going in there," said Aurora skeptically.

"Do you have any better ideas?"

"No, but-"

"Well, neither of you have mirrors, and I have my sword, so it looks like I'll see you in a bit." And with that, I began climbing down the hole, which was damp and slippery. I kept climbing long after the light from above had disappeared, with nothing for company except spiders and snakes. Finally, I reached the bottom, my arms sore and muddy. I drew my sword and edged along the side of the tunnel carefully.

It was pitch dark and impossible to see, so I gave a light push, and my sword began glowing with a white light. Feeling slightly more confident, I sped up along the tunnel.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw movement, and I immediately turned, squinting my eyes and using my sword to reflect whatever it was behind me. In my gleaming blade, I saw a small woman with dark, thick hair and a beautiful, heart-shaped face. Her eyes seemed bright with some unspeakable sadness.

"What do you want?" a voice in my head said, hard and angry.

"Um, I'm sorry to bother you," I said out loud. "My name is Robin, and I'm here on a quest of sorts."

"Are you going to kill me?" she asked.

"No, of course not," I said hastily. "I only wanted to ask you a favor."

"What's that?" she said suspiciously.

"My friend has been cursed, so I've been sent on a quest to find three ingredients that will cure him. So far I've found a unicorn horn and water from the Lake of Avalon. I traveled to the Ice Kingdom to consult with the Mirror of Reason, and she told me the final ingredient was one of your hairs."

Medusa ran a finger through her hair, and the thick braids slithered to life, hissing and spitting.

"In exchange for what?" she asked.

I shrugged. "I don't have money or anything."

She laughed. "Does it look like I have need for money down here?"

"Well, what do you want from me?"

"I want revenge," she said coldly.

"On who?" I asked.

"I wasn't always like this, you know," she said, gesturing around her at the mud and spiders. "I was once a beautiful priestess, a witch, like you. But one day, a visiting soldier fell in love with me, and when I rejected him, he raped me."

"I'm so sorry," I said.

"That wasn't the end of it," she continued. "The other priestesses found me, and when they learned that I was no longer a maiden, they cast me from their ranks. In my exile, I tried to kill myself, but Death was unkind, and cursed me, and sent me here."

"I'm sorry," I said again. "But, death?"

She nodded. "Death. You'll meet her one day."

"It's a woman?" I asked.

"Yes, and she's very beautiful. The most beautiful woman you'll ever meet."

"How can I help you?" 

"I want you to find the soldier," she said. "And I want you to bring him to me."

"Who is he?" I asked. "And what if he's dead?" 

She shook her head. "Death would not be so kind to him. You will find him easily. His name is Agisilaos. He would surely be a general or something by now. Men who are bastards rise much quicker through the ranks."

"Where would I go to look for him?"

She shrugged. "He's a mercenary, so he could be anywhere."

"And I'm supposed to bring him back here?" I asked. "That could take years."

"Do you have any better suggestions?"

"Yeah," I said. "Why don't you come with me? That'll save me the return trip. Besides, I know a powerful witch who could help you."

She laughed bitterly. "Me, out in the world? Don't you know? Anyone who looks into my face turns to stone."

"So wear a head scarf or something," I said impatiently. "Are you going to help me or not?"

"I'll help you," she said. "But you said this was a friend you were doing this for. Surely you wouldn't go to such lengths for only a friend?"

I blushed. "No, he's somewhat of a lover, I guess. He saved my life too, so I feel like it's only the right thing to do."

She nodded. "Love. I've never experienced it."

"Not when you've been suck down here all these years, I imagine."

She laughed. "Alright, I'll come with you." She took a knife from her pocket, and, taking hold of one of her snakes, she sliced it off quickly and handed it to me.

"Thank you!" I said gratefully, slipping the snake into my bag. I handed her my jacket, which she wrapped around her face, leaving only her eyes exposed. We made our way back up the hole, to the surprise of Aurora and Flynn.

"Hey guys," I said, as Aurora pulled me out. "This is Medusa. Medusa, this is Aurora and Flynn."

"Nice to meet you," she said shyly.

"Well," I said, stretching out my arms. "It looks like our quest is finally done."

Chapter Fifty: Setting Sail

"Well," I said, looking around at my companions. "Does anyone have any ideas on how to get off this island?"

Aurora nodded. "We could build a raft."

"A raft? For the sea? Count me out," said Flynn with a shudder.

"How close is the nearest land?" I asked.

Medusa thought for a moment. "If we go west from here we will eventually get to the mainland in about two to three days."

"In what, though?" I mused.

"Could you call your dragon again?" asked Aurora hopefully.

"He's not my dragon," I said. "And I doubt he'd come."

"Looks like raft it is," said Medusa. Flynn groaned.

We spent the afternoon looking for sturdy trees and cutting them down. We carried about ten to twenty logs to the water's edge, and Aurora bound them tightly with rope. Medusa placed some sort of charm to make our raft waterproof, and we cut down a few more saplings to serve as oars. The sun was still high in the sky when we set out on our new contraption.

"So," I asked Medusa, as we rowed westward. "Why does Cersei hate you so much?"

Medusa shrugged. "Who cares about that bitch? She's probably jealous that I'm more beautiful than she is."

Aurora snorted, and Medusa threw her a dirty look.

"What?" she said in protest. "What does it matter if you're more beautiful if everyone who looks at you turns to stone?"

"I know it," said Medusa smugly. "And so does Cersei."

"That seems a little petty, even for her," I remarked.

"Well, that's Cersei for you," said Medusa.

"I'm hungry," complained Flynn.

"You should have thought of that before you left," scolded Aurora.

"What, aren't you hungry too?" asked Flynn.

Aurora ignored him, her stomach growling loudly.

"Can you summon some fish or something?" asked Flynn.

"Um, I guess I can try. I've never summoned anything that was moving though."

Medusa, Aurora and Flynn all stopped rowing to watch me work in interest. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, imagining the fish swimming beneath our raft, their shiny scales, their rippling muscles, their wide fishy eyes. I imagined them darting upwards out of the water and onto our raft –

Splash! I opened my eyes in surprise as a large salmon leapt on my lap, flopping messily over the boards.

Aurora quickly struck it with her knife, and deftly slit it down the stomach.

"Can you give me a light, Robin?" she asked.

"There's nothing to burn," I said dubiously.

"Just the fish," she said impatiently.

So I held out my hands and, with a gentle push, a few warm flames darted out of my palms. The flames tickled pleasantly, and Aurora placed the fish on a spit and roasted it until the smell of grilled salmon pervaded the air.

"Wow, that smells amazing," said Flynn, as Aurora cut him a generous slice.

"It tastes good too," mumbled Medusa through a hot mouthful.

We ate in silent contentment, lying on our backs and watching the Milky Way ripple above us like a glittering ribbon. Below us the water lapped gently at the boards like music.

"So, what sort of magic can you do?" I asked Medusa. She yawned at me.

"I never learned much magic, really," she told me. "I was a priestess, and we spent most of our time taking care of the temple, normal chores and such."

"But, you did that spell with the waterproofing?" I asked. "Where did you learn that?"

She shrugged. "I was outside by myself a lot, under the elements. It was useful to learn."

"So you just figured it out by yourself?"

"Yeah," she said. "Isn't that how you learned most of your magic?"

"I guess so," I answered. "Although Ursula showed me the basics."

"Ursula!" she exclaimed. "Is that woman still around?" 

"Yeah," I said. "Do you know her?"

"Every witch worth her salt knows her," scoffed Medusa.

"How so?"

"It's a small community," said Medusa. "You've got Katrina, who's the Witch Queen, and then you've got Ursula and Maleficent, who are sort of free agents who only answer to themselves. You've got people who dabble in magic, like Arya, the Snow Queen, and you've got loners like Cersei who do what they want."

"Interesting," I said. "And that's it?"

She shrugged. "Those are the major players at the moment. But the board always changes when you're least expecting it."

"Are there male witches?" asked Flynn.

"Yes," said Medusa. "They're called wizards, or sorcerers if they're feeling smug. But they are rare. Most of the time, magic is passed from mother to daughter."

"My sister doesn't have magic," said Flynn.

"You're a rarity than," said Medusa. Flynn laughed.

"When did you learn you were magic?" I asked Medusa.

"I was really young," she told us. "Maybe when I was six. I could make flowers blossom in my hand. I could make fruit ripen just by touching it. My mother was frightened, so she sent me to the temple, and they took me in."

"I was twelve," said Flynn. "My father was yelling at my mother. She was accusing him of cheating on her, and he was lying about it."

"Well, that's depressing," said Aurora.

Flynn shrugged. "Whatever. I was glad when that jerk left. He was an asshole."

"Most men are," Medusa said reassuringly.

"That doesn't make me feel better," said Flynn.

"Don't worry, you're different," Medusa told him. "I can tell."

"Really?" said Flynn dubiously.

"Yes," she said, patting him gently on the arm. She smiled at him through her scarf.

"Ever had any girlfriends, Flynn?" I asked teasingly.

He shook his head. "Outside of that one girl who was betrothed I've never really been interested in anyone. And the feeling's been mutual, mostly."

"That's surprising," said Medusa. "A sweet, cute boy like you? I'd have thought girls would be eating you up."

Flynn blushed, and we all laughed.

We sailed like that for two days, chatting casually and reveling in our new friendships. Finally the mainlaid was before us, solid and beautiful and green. We got as close to shore as possible, and then leapt into the water, splashing and laughing as we half swam, half ran to shore.

"Land," said Aurora, burying her face in the sand. "I will never leave you again."

I laughed, rolling on my back, waving my arms in the soft, silky grains.

"We're home!" cried Aurora, hugging me tightly.

"Let's go find Adam and Snow and Cinderella and all the rest!" I said happily.

Medusa smiled at us, and the four of us made our way inland, towards our friends and future.

Chapter Fifty One: Homecoming

It took an entire day of walking until we found another person, who told us we were three days by foot from the castle. And so we tramped on in exhausted silence, hungry and tired.

Finally we reached the castle gates, when I thought my feet were going to fall of my legs. A messenger ran into the castle to inform Snow and the others, and they led us to an inner room with a lot of cushions and a warm, crackling fireplace. They had brought us steaming mugs of hot chocolate and large cookies when Snow, Adam, Felix, and Cinderella rushed into the room to greet us.

"We were so worried!" cried Snow, holding me at arms length. "Oh, baby…"

I turned away, suddenly feeling self-conscious. I'd forgotten that Snow had never seen me with my scars.

"I think you look great," said Adam, grinning. He hugged me close, and I felt safe.

"And who are your friends?" asked Felix.

"This is Flynn," I said. Flynn shook hands with everyone. "And this is Medusa."

Medusa curtseyed, her face concealed behind her scarf.

"Would you like someone to take that for you?" offered Snow politely.

"Oh no," she said, wrapping it closely around her face. "I'm afraid my face turns those who gaze upon it to stone."

"Oh," said Snow awkwardly. "That's quite unfortunate."

"I get used to it," Medusa answered smoothly.

"Alright," said Cinderella, smiling broadly. "Is there anything we can get for you weary travelers?"

"Food!" Aurora and Flynn chimed in unison. We laughed, and they ushered us quickly to the dining room, where James, Idris, and Adrian were waiting.

"Where's Ursula?" I asked, halfway through a mouthful of potatoes.

"We haven't seen her in a while," said Felix disapprovingly. He had clearly not forgiven the witch who had interrupted his wedding.

"I need to speak to her," I said, swallowing my steak. "I need to ask her about how to make the potion that will cure Adam."

"She'll be around, I'm sure," Cinderella reassured me. "Try the pudding!"

When we had stuffed ourselves until we could eat no more, and the servants had removed all of our empty plates, Snow turned to us with wide eyes.

"So, do tell about your adventures!"

I started from the very beginning, about how Aurora had saved my life after an attack from the huntsman. I told her about the deal with Rumplestiltskin, how we'd found the unicorn and removed its horn. I described the Lake of Avalon, and its treacherous residents. I explained the Snow Queen's challenges, and the price she had demanded for a counsel from the Mirror of Reason. I conveyed Elena's information, and told her about how we'd met Hook and Flynn aboard The Whore's Daughter. I detailed our adventures in Neverland with Peter, Phillip, and Tinkerbell. And finally I described Cersei and finding Medusa, and our journey back to their kingdom. My mouth felt dry from all the speaking, and I was glad to finally fall silent.

"That," said James after a pause. "Was the best story I've ever heard anyone tell. Ever."

I nodded at him gratefully, nestling myself against Adam's warm chest. He kissed my forehead tenderly.

"I expect Ursula will come in the morning," Snow said. "She'll want to get down to making that potion right away, I imagine."

"I hope so."

"What about your scars?" asked Adrian. "I don't suppose you want them healed?"

Felix shot Adrian a dirty look, but I shook my head.

"I've tried healing them myself," I told him. "I don't think my magic works on myself, or else these scars are magic themselves."

"That would make sense," offered Aurora. "You did come out of that fire in a rather astonishing manner."

"I think they've had a long couple of weeks," said Adam. "What do you say we show them to their rooms and let them rest for a night before we continue interrogating them?"

"That sounds lovely," said Medusa, yawning.

Snow and Cinderella led Medusa and Aurora away, and Felix showed Flynn down to his chambers. I was left alone at last with Adam, and we found ourselves grinning stupidly at one another.

"I missed you a lot," he said, running his fingers through my hair.

"I missed you too," I told him.

"Would you like to get some rest?" he asked.

"Only if you're there," I said.

"That can be arranged," he said with a smile.

And so we found ourselves together in bed, lying chastely side by side, his arms around me, and my head tucked cozily in the nook of his shoulder. He was humming tunelessly into my hair, and I was tracing patterns sleepily into his furry chest.

"Robin," he said after a long time. "I want to thank you for doing all that for me."

I yawned. "No need, Adam," I said. "I know you'd do the same for me."

He laughed. "I don't know if I'd have your courage. Certainly not your talent."

"You have talents of your own, I'm sure."

He hugged me closely, and I giggled.

"I don't know how to thank you," he murmured into my hair.

"Just think of it as your happy ending," I told him.

"That's not true," he said, pulling me closer against him. "You're my happy ending."

And then he kissed me, softly, sweetly, as if I were the only woman in the world. As if we had crossed a desert and finally found that sweet glass of water. I kissed him back, everything forgotten.

Chapter Fifty Two: Ursula's Return

The next morning, it took me a while to realize that I was not dreaming, that I really was nestled there between Adam's arms, and the light streaming in through the windows, warming our blankets, was not some cruel illusion. He was already awake, watching me with half lidded eyes.

"Good morning," I mumbled.

"Good morning to you too," he said, smiling. "Do you want to get breakfast?"

"Can we stay here instead?" I asked, burying my face in the pillows.

"I am up for that."

But those moments of bliss were interrupted by someone tapping on our door.

"Come in," Adam called. It was Ursula. She looked paler than usual, and it seemed that her long black hair had thinned.

"Hello," she said. "Good to see that you're back."

"Good to see you too," I said, sitting up. "You don't look so well. Is everything alright?"

She shook her head. "I think I'm being poisoned."

"Poisoned!" I exclaimed. "By who?"

"A witch named Ariel," she told us. "She used to be a mermaid, and I helped her become human so she could be with her man. But her man turned out to be a philandering asshole, and now she misses the sea, and blames me for it."

"That seems unfair," I said. "But why would she poison you? And how?"

"I have no idea," said Ursula, shrugging. "She's been dallying in potions. Mermaids have a gift for that sort of thing. No matter, I'll recover soon enough. But I'm here to help you."

"Yes, please," I said gratefully. "Help us put the potion together and I'll do anything I can to help you fix things with Ariel."

"That could be useful," she said. "Now, do you have all the ingredients?"

I handed her my bag with the horn, the small bottle with water from the lake, and Medusa's hair.

"Lovely," said Ursula, examining the horn closely. "Now, come with me to my chambers. I've already prepared the rest of the potion."

We followed Ursula to her room, where indeed a small cauldron hung over the fire, bubbling and smelling faintly of cinnamon. She added the water to the pot, and began deftly cutting up the snake, which she also threw into the mixture. Finally, she stirred the concoction with the unicorn horn, which turned the previously brown potion crystal clear. She poured the mixture into a tall silver goblet.

"Ready, Adam?" I asked.

"Oh no," said Ursula. "This is for you."

"Me?" I said, confused. "Why would I have to drink it?"

"It's a love curse," Ursula explained. "As his lover, you're necessarily involved."

"Wait a minute," Adam argued. "We didn't agree to this."

"What happens if I drink it?" I asked, ignoring Adam.

"I have no idea," said Ursula. "Honestly, no one's ever removed a curse like his before."

"Why's that?" I asked apprehensively.

"Well, most of the time, no one falls in love with them," said Ursula. "And when they do they aren't always willing to make the sacrifice of drinking the potion. And if they drink the potion, they don't always come out-"

"Come out what?"

"Alive," she said bluntly. "I hope you do, though. You've beaten the odds so far."

"Thanks for your vote of confidence," I said sarcastically.

"Well, I'd rather be honest than – hey, what are you doing?"

I'd grabbed the goblet and downed the potion in one long draught. It tasted like pecans and nutmeg. I wiped my lips with my sleeve, and stumbled a little. Adam caught me.

"Are you okay?" he asked, looking concerned.

"I'm fine," I wanted to say, but my mouth didn't want to move. Everything suddenly seemed very far away, like I was looking down a telescope, or a tunnel. And then, all of a sudden, I was not in Ursula's room any more.

I sat up on a cold, stone floor. I was in some large, empty hall, with banners hanging from the ceiling. I didn't recognize any of the crests upon them. There were long, empty tables that ran the length of the hall. A group of people stood talking quietly next to the fire, each of them holding a goblet.

"Hello?" I said groggily, stumbling to my feet. "Where am I?"

"Hello, sister," said a familiar voice. My brother smiled at me, a goblet in his hand. "Care for a drink?"

"No thanks," I said. "What are you doing here?"

"Why don't you ever look pleased to see me?" he said, disappointed.

"Because you're dead," I told him. "And you're supposed to stay that way."

"Well," he said, shrugging. "You lead an unusual life."

"Come, drink with us," said a woman, trying to press her drink into my hand.

"You!" I said. "You're the woman from the lake. I know you."

She smiled at me. "Yes, and if you drink from this goblet, the potion will make you whole again. You'll be just as beautiful as you once were."

"Don't listen to her," another woman said, smirking. "Drink from mine, and you'll be the most beautiful woman in the world."

"Taste my cup, dear," said a tall woman in a black evening gown. "You'll be famous. They'll set you up against the stars. Your name will live on forever."

"Wealth, I can offer you," said a stout man, his fingers encrusted with brightly colored jewels. "You shall want of nothing. You'll have more gold than you can count."

"Vanity," said a tall man, shaking his head in disgust. "You fools think of nothing else. But I know Robin will want to drink of my potion, for it will give her wisdom beyond all understanding."

"What about me?" said a woman, who wore an impressive suit of armor. "With my potion, she will be the most powerful sorceress in all the land. Kings will bow at her feet, and people will tremble before her wherever she walks."

"Health," said an old crone, bent over with arthritis. "Health and eternal youth will be yours if you only take a sip. You won't be strong and limber for long, you know."

"But what of love?" said a slender young girl, with blond hair that fell to her waist. "Don't you want to meet the love of your life? The one who will cherish you forever? Don't you want the ability to make any man fall in love of you, to bend to your every will?"

"I already know the love of my life," I told her. "I've got Adam, and he's got me."

"Then," said my mother, smiling. "All you have to do is drink from this cup, and his curse will be removed."

I took the goblet, which was made of wood. It held a clear liquid, like Medusa's potion.

"How do I know I can trust you?" I asked.

"Oh, my dear daughter," she said, stroking my hair. "You don't."

And so I lifted the cup to my lips and drank.

Chapter Fifty Two: Curse Undone

The drink was cold and bitter, and it burned going down my throat. I coughed, and my vision blurred, and it felt like the world was spinning away under my feet.

When I opened my eyes again, Ursula was shaking me urgently.

"Are you alright?" she said, looking concerned. "You have to come quick."

"What's going on?" I mumbled.

"It's Adam," she said. "Can you get up?"

I stood on wobbly feet, Ursula supporting me. Adam had collapsed on the floor, his arms and legs spread-eagled. I knelt beside him and listened for a pulse.

"He's not breathing!" I cried. "What's going on?"

"I don't know," said Ursula. "When you woke up, he passed out. What happened?"

"There were all these different potions," I told her. "Did I drink the wrong one?"

"I have no idea," she said. "I've never done this spell before."

I put my mouth against Adam's and started blowing air into his lungs. The effort made me dizzy and lightheaded.

"Look," said Ursula, grabbing my arm. The fur on his arms was beginning to recede, and his legs and torso seemed to shrink in size. His shoulders narrowed, until he was the size of a tall man. His claws shrank back into his fingers, turning into nails. The fur covering his face seemed to melt away, until there he was, human once again. I stared at him, dumbfounded.

"Why won't he wake?" I asked, shaking his shoulder lightly.

"Not sure," said Ursula. "Try kissing him?"

"The kiss of true love, right," I said. And I bent over him and kissed him hard on the lips, the most desperate, hopeful kiss I'd ever kissed.

Like magic, his eyes opened, and, gasping for air, he sat up, looking around in puzzlement.

"Hi," I said awkwardly. 

"Hi," he said, staring in shock at his hands and considerably less hairy arms.

"How do you feel?" I asked, feeling a bit like there was a stranger in the room.

"I feel fine," he said, getting to his feet. He stumbled a bit, and I caught him.

"How did you do that?" he asked, rubbing his head with his hand. "What happened? You passed out, and I was so worried."

"I woke up in this room with all these other people," I told him. "They were all offering me different potions, for youth, wealth, fame and power and all that. And there was one potion they said would restore you, and that's the one I drank."

He laughed. "You picked me over eternal youth?"

"Of course."

Ursula cleared her throat awkwardly. "Shall we go tell the others?"

"Oh, yes," I said, hugging her gratefully. "Thank you so much for your help."

"Not a problem at all," she said, blushing. "I owe it to you for helping Rapunzel."

"Still, it can't have been easy making all this, especially when you haven't been feeling well."

She smiled at me. "You did most of the hard work."

We found Cinderella, Snow, Aurora, Flynn, and the princes gathered in the dining hall for lunch, which was sandwiches with lemonade. When we entered, Snow dropped her sandwich in shock.

"Is that-," she asked, her mouth open.

"Yeah," I said, laughing. They gathered around Adam, admiring and complimenting his new form. He blushed and ducked his head, which I found adorable. Only Aurora hung back shyly, busying herself with the lemonade.

"Are you okay?" I asked her, breaking away from the crowd.

"Yeah," she said, with a forced smile. "I'm really happy for you."

"You don't look so happy," I observed.

"I am," she said. "It's just, well, now everything's over, right? We're done traveling and having adventures. You're going to get married to Adam, and have kids, and I'll just be that weird aunt who's always around for no reason."

"That's not true!" I said. "You won't be a weird aunt, and of course we aren't done having adventures."

"Really?" she asked, her eyes brightening.

"Of course," I exclaimed. "We've got to find Ariel and figure out why she's poisoning Ursula. And we've got to find Medusa's soldier, and meet the Witch Queen, and-"

"Okay, okay," she laughed. "I get it. You're a busy lady. I was worried you might get settled into domestic bliss."

"Never," I promised.

"Never what?" asked Adam, sidling up next to me.

"I was just telling Aurora that our adventures are far from over," I said.

"Really?" he asked. "What's next for you?"

"Well, we have to figure out what's making Ursula sick, first, I think. And then we'll find the soldier that raped Medusa, and then we'll look for Katrina, the Witch Queen."

"Sounds like you have a lot on your plate," said Adam.

I shrugged. "Business as usual, I suppose."

"Well, I was thinking," he said shyly, staring at his feet. "If you're not too busy with all your adventures and quests and so on…"

"Yeah?" I asked.

"If you get a chance," he said, dropping to one knee. "I was hoping you would consider getting married. To me."

I stared at him in shock. "You want to get married? Together?"

"That's usually how it's done, yes," he said, shifting uncomfortably.

"Um, alright, I guess so," I said.

He got up, looking disappointed. "Alright, you guess so? Is that it?"

I shrugged. "What else is there to say?"

"Well, for starters, how about 'I love you', or 'Yes, of course I'll marry you', or 'It would bring me great joy to be your wife'?"

I laughed. "I said yes, Adam. Isn't that enough?"

He picked me up and twirled me around. "Yes. It is."

Chapter Fifty Three: Interlude

Adam and I walked through the garden, hand in hand, happy to be away from everyone else.

"Are you okay?" I asked. "You seem sort of quiet."

"Yes, I'm fine," he said. "It's just that I thought you would be more excited about getting married."

I laughed. "I am excited. Because it's you, and everything. But marriage, well, marriage has never really been one of those things I really wanted to do."

"Really?" he asked, concerned. "We don't have to get married if you don't want to."

"No, I do want to marry you," I said quickly. "It's just that I always used to think of marriage as something that boring, washed up people do."

"Should we wait until we are boring and washed up before we get married?"

"I don't want to wait that long," I laughed. We sat down next to some roses and a small reflecting pond.

"Well, does anything about marriage sound attractive to you?"

"Hmm," I said thoughtfully. "I like the part where you can't tell me that you'd like to see other people."

"We don't have to be married for me to know that I don't want to see other people."

"How do you know? Have you ever been with anyone else?"

He shook his head. "Well, before the fairy there was one other girl, but it was a puppy love sort of thing. We grew up together, and I don't know what happened to her after my curse."

"What was her name?" I asked.

"Oh, I don't know," he said offhandedly. "Elena something."

"Really?" I said. "I met an Elena. She was a witch who lived in a mirror of reason. I think someone cursed her. Someone she slighted, maybe."

"No, the Elena I knew was the miller's daughter, and she married the smith's son."

"I suppose it's a common enough name."

"Well, don't change the subject," he said. "You were telling me why you want to get married."

"I don't know, because you asked me," I said. "What other reason do I need?"

He shrugged. "I just think if you do it, it should be because you want to, and not because I asked you."

"I don't see why it makes a difference," I said grumpily.

"It does though," he said, frowning. "It's your life, Robin. You shouldn't be so cavalier."

"I'm not sure what you want me to say," I said shortly.

"I just want you to be honest," he said, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. "I want to marry you because I love you, and I want to spend my life with you."

"I feel the same way," I said, patting him reassuringly. "I promise."

He smiled at me. "Are you sure you don't want some time to think about it?"

I shrugged. "It's not like I have a dress all picked out or anything. We might as well take our time."

"I'm okay with that," he said solemnly. "Look, when you're ready, you come talk to me, okay? I'll wait for you."

"Thanks," I said, kissing his cheek fondly. We sat there in contented silence, watching birds preen themselves in the water. The sky turned from blue to purple to velvety black, and the crickets chirped loudly around us.

"What do you want to do next?" I asked Adam.

"We've got to help Ursula," he said. "We owe her that much. Maybe we could go talk to this Ariel and see what she wants?"

"You want to come with me?" I asked, surprised.

"Of course," he said, hugging me. "It's high time you and I had a few adventures of our own."

I laughed. "I think Aurora might get jealous."

"She should be," he said. "You're mine, after all."

When we'd had enough of the stars, we went inside and wandered the halls until we found our chambers. Adam picked me up and lifted me bodily onto the bed. He clambered in next to me, tugging the covers over both of us.

"Hmm," he said thoughtfully. "I think there's something wrong with this picture?"

"And what's that?" I asked playfully.

He tapped his finger against his forehead, pretending to think hard. "I've got it. We've got too many clothes on."

"That can be remedied." He pulled my tunic over my head, and I began unlacing his shirt. We took off our trousers, and he gently removed the cloth binding my breasts.

"I have no words," he said, looking at me. I blushed.

"You're not too bad yourself."

We lay there quietly, tucked against each other, skin on skin, like cups. He traced a line across my shoulder blades, and I rested my head against his chest.

"So," he said against my ear. "What next?"

"I can think of a few things," I said slyly. I turned, so that our bodies were flush against each other. "It depends how committed you are to the idea of marital purity and all that."

"I'm not particularly committed," he said. "In fact, I think it's kind of unreasonable that people are supposed to have sex for the very first time with the person they're going to do it with for the rest of their-" I interrupted him with a kiss.

"This is not the time for gender politics," I told him, running my hands down his stomach and along his thighs.

"Mm," he mumbled, his eyes closing in pleasure. "I suppose there are other things we could discuss."

"Shh," I whispered, pulling him on top of me. "You'll ruin it."

And then we fell into each other, a whirring, endless tumbling fall into new worlds.

Chapter Fifty Four: Ariel

The next day I found Ursula sitting by herself in the garden, working on some needlepoint. When she saw me approach, she set down her work and rose to greet me.

"Hello Robin," she said, giving me a quick hug. "What are you up to today?"

"I was going to ask you," I said. "What do you say we talk to this Ariel and see what she wants?"

"Thank you so much," she said happily. "And I can show you how to summon witches. It will be useful for you to learn."

We went up to her chambers, where she showed me a tin of some blue powder, and a can of salt.

"We throw the powder into the fire," she said. "And then we sprinkle a circle of salt around her so she can't leave." Ursula shook the salt out in a circle in front of the ground.

"That's it?" I said dubiously. "And she'll definitely come?"

"Oh yes," she said. "You'll see."

Ursula handed me the powder, and I threw a handful into the fire, which turned a bright blue.

"Ariel, as your sister witch, I summon you," I called.

The fire blazed purple, and then out of the flames emerged a tall woman with bright red hair and a long green dress. She stepped into the circle of salt, just as we'd planned.

"Hello," I said nervously. "Are you Ariel?"

"I am," she said, looking at the salt in displeasure. "And who are you?"

"I'm Robin," I said. "And I believe you already know Ursula?"

"You," said Ariel coldly. Ursula nodded curtly in acknowledgement.

"I believe you two have some sort of disagreement?" I asked.

"You could call it that," said Ariel, examining her nails. "She tricked me, and now I'm trapped in this terrible body, exiled from my family."

"If you couldn't keep your man, that's your own fault," said Ursula snidely.

"Why, I'll kill you," shouted Ariel, lunging at Ursula. But the salt stopped her short, like an invisible wall.

"Let me out," she told me angrily. "I have a score to settle."

"That's why I've brought you here," I said. "So we can work things out in a reasonable and civilized manner."

"She doesn't deserve reasonable and civilized," said Ariel.

Ursula shrugged. "I gave you exactly what you wanted. You should have chosen a better prince."

"What exactly are you doing to Ursula?" I demanded before Ariel had a chance to retort.

"Nothing," she said slyly. "I haven't done anything to Ursula."

"That's a lie," said Ursula heatedly. "I've been feeling horrible ever since you threatened me."

"Good," said Ariel. "Karmic justice."

"Poison," said Ursula.

"I don't need poison to hurt you, Ursula," said Ariel dangerously.

"What have you been doing then?" I asked.

"I've been visiting with some of the older witches," she said evasively. "They've shown me a few tricks that have proven to be quite effective."

"Voodoo," said Ursula. "You've been working voodoo magic on me, you horrible witch."

Ariel threw her head back and laughed.

"I want you to stop that right now," I snapped at her. "Where's the voodoo doll you've been using? Give it to me?"

She pulled a small figure out of her pocket, a green cloth doll with long black hair.

"If you want her, you've got to come and get her," she said. And with that, she tossed the doll into the fire.

Ursula screamed, but I found the doll with my mind and gave it a push. It flew out of the fire and into my hands. It was made out of old cloth and what looked to be strands of Ursula's hair.

"Look, that must be how she's been hurting you," I said, tugging out the hair and throwing it onto the ground.

"You bitch," said Ursula angrily, raising her hands to curse Ariel. I stopped her.

"Don't," I said. "The cycle stops here."

"But you saw what she did to me."

"I know, and I'm sorry," I said. "But if you hurt her, she'll just hurt you again."

"It's true," promised Ariel. I shot her a dirty look.

"And you," I said. "You should be ashamed of yourself. Ursula was only trying to help you. If you're unhappy, you should go talk to your husband about it."

"Who are you to talk to me like that?" she demanded. "Who are you to tell me what to do?"

"What your mouth," said Ursula sharply. "Do you know who you're talking to right now?"

"I couldn't care less," said Ariel with a sniff.

"She's the future Witch Queen, you idiot," said Ursula. "You should be on your knees, you witless bimbo."

"Her?" scoffed Ariel. "She couldn't spell her way out of a paper bag."

"You'll regret that," said Ursula threateningly. "You have no idea who you're dealing with."

"Why can't she speak for herself?" said Ariel condescendingly. "Well? Are you really the next queen?"

I looked at Ursula, alarmed. And then I drew myself up, and said in my most regal voice, "Yes, I am the future Witch Queen."

Chapter Fifty Five: Agisilaos

"So um," I said awkwardly after Ariel had disappeared into the fire. "I'm not so sure about the whole queen witch thing."

"Witch Queen," Ursula corrected me. "You're the new Witch Queen."

"Yeah," I said. "About that. I was never really told what it entails or anything like that?"

"You're not queen yet," said Ursula. "In fact, Katrina probably has a few more good years left, so I wouldn't worry yet."

"But aren't I supposed to find her and fight her or something like that?"

"If you want to," said Ursula, shrugging. "It's not entirely necessary, but it will win you points with her enemies, of which she has plenty. And so will you, once you gain the throne."

"Is there actually a throne?"

"Only in the most metaphorical of senses," said Ursula. "I think Katrina wears one made of silver vines. It's your own choice, really."

"I've just never been much of a leader," I confessed. "I'm more of a hang back and see what happens sort of girl."

Ursula laughed. "Maybe you were once, but it doesn't matter who you were or who you are, only who you become."

"Someone else told me something similar."

"Well, it's not a very unique sentiment, is it? We witches come from all walks of life. We are maids and prostitutes and baker's daughters and duchesses. There's no telling what fate will bring you. But in the coven we are all equals. Well, except the queen, of course. Her word is law."

"What exactly is her role in the coven?"

"She just resolves disputes between witches, makes sure things run smoothly between our kind and humans. She rules, essentially."

"Why haven't I heard of her? Do humans know of her?"

"Maybe distantly," said Ursula. "But they are not really involved in our affairs. It's a live and let live sort of situation."

"Well, I guess I'll figure it out when it comes up," I said. "But right now I think our next task is helping Medusa."

"What does she want again?" asked Ursula.

"She wants to find the soldier who raped her," I told her. "And exact some sort of revenge, I think. I'm not entirely sure what she wants, but given her ability to turn things into stone by looking at them, I'd say she has a wide range of options."

"How are you supposed to do that? Whoever did it could be dead by now. Or long gone."

I shrugged. "It's up to Medusa. She helped me, so I owe her that much."

"Isn't it kind of dangerous hanging out with her?"

"She wears a headscarf, and I trust her."

"I think you trust too much," said Ursula. "Remember where that got you last time."

I frowned, rubbing the scars on my cheek. "That was different. Besides, she more than made up for it."

"Suit yourself," said Ursula, shrugging. "But after you figure things out with Medusa, I would recommend going to talk to Katrina. She knows of a prophesy about you."

"A prophesy? About me?" I asked, surprised. "Why would anyone prophesy about me?"

"Who knows?" said Ursula. "But it might be useful to hear, not that you have much of a history of listening to prophesies."

I thanked her, and left to find Medusa, who was reading a book in her room, a blue scarf wrapped loosely around her face.

"Hello Medusa," I said. "Have you eaten yet?"

"I wasn't hungry," she said, setting her book down. "Congratulations on getting Adam back."

"Yeah," I said. "Maybe we could do the same for you."

She shook her head. "I've gotten used to this, actually. It's not so bad. Even when I was human I didn't really like having a lot of people stare at me."

"Yeah, but you didn't turn them into stone," I pointed out.

She shrugged. "It's not really my problem."

"Okay, whatever you like. Just keep your head scarf on."

She laughed. "What next?"

"I was thinking of helping you find your soldier, whatever his name is." 

"Agisilaos," said Medusa. "I wish I could forget it."

"Do you have any ideas about where to look for him?" I asked.

"I was thinking of going through the kingdom records for soldier names," she said. "Do you know where we might find them?"

"Yeah," I said. "That sounds like it would be in the archives somewhere. We can ask Cinderella. She's worked here for a while."

We found Cinderella, who showed us a dusty room full of ancient tomes covered in cobwebs.

"Here it is," she said, pulling out a huge volume with a leather cover. "Names of Soldiers Fighting under King Richard. He should be in here. No idea how it's organized, though."

I sighed. "Better start reading then." We sat down and began turning pages, our eyes straining at the tiny print. The candles had burned down low until we finally found it, at the bottom of page 873.

"Agisilaos," I read. "Do you think that's a common name?"

"No," said Medusa. "And look here. His tour started two years ago. And he's coming back here. In three days."

"What are you going to do?" I asked her. "Are you sure you want to see him again?"

"Oh, quite sure," said Medusa coolly, her hair writing excitedly underneath her scarf. "I've been waiting for this moment for ten years. I think I'm ready."

Chapter Fifty Six: Medusa's Revenge

"Are you sure you want to do this?" I asked Medusa, as we watched the soldiers march into the castle gates from a high window.

"Would you stop asking me that?" she said, irritated. "I told you I was sure. When are you going to believe me?"

I shrugged. "I just never felt like revenge was the way to go."

"Tell me this," she said, turning to me. "Have you ever had anyone ruin your life?"

"No."

"Have you ever wanted to kill yourself?"

"No."

"Have you ever tried to kill yourself?"

"No, but-"

"But nothing," she said, turning back to the window. "He took everything from me. I'm going to destroy him."

"I don't see how it'll make you feel better," I said.

"Even if it doesn't," she said. "And it will. At least I will have the pleasure of knowing that another piece of scum no longer walks this earth."

"You're going to kill him then?"

"No," she said cruelly. "But he's going to beg me to kill him. And maybe, if I'm feeling kind, I'll oblige."

"That's kind of dark, don't you think?" I asked. "Look, I know he's done some terrible things, but do you really want to be the kind of person who does terrible things too?"

"Doing terrible things to terrible people isn't bad," she said. "It's justice."

"Well, okay," I said. "Just keep in mind it might not make you happy in the end."

She rolled her eyes. "Are you going to help me or not?"

"I'll help you," I said reluctantly. "What do you want me to do?"

"See that man, the third from the right?" she said, pointing at a tall man with dark hair and a cruel looking face. "That's him."

"I see," I said. "He doesn't look very nice at all."

"That's because he's a rapist," said Medusa patiently. "And we're going to get him back."

"How do you suggest we do that?"

"You're going to seduce him," she told me. "And you're going to bring him up to this room, and I'm going to get my revenge."

"Me?" I said uncomfortably. "Why not Aurora or someone? I doubt he'll be interested in me."

Medusa shrugged. "You're a pretty girl. I'm sure he'd love to get his hands on you."

"What about my scars?" I asked. "Why don't we ask someone else?"

"It's got to be you," she said, shaking her head.

"Why?"

"Because you're going to enchant him for me," she said.

"I have no idea how to do that," I said. "I've never enchanted anyone."

"Well, now's a good time as any to start, right?" she said. "Come on, we've got a homecoming party to arrange."

Medusa picked out a silvery dress with a plunging neckline for me. It hung down above my knees, and I tugged it down uncomfortably.

"There," she said, smiling. "Now he won't be looking at your face."

"Why do I need to enchant him again?"

"Just make him slow and stupid for me," she said.

"I told you, I don't know how. I've never done anything with people's minds before."

"Alternately, you can bash him over the head with a rock."

"I'll try my hand at the enchantment."

The soldiers were filing into the great hall when we arrived. King Richard was shaking each of their hands, thanking them for their service. The soldiers laughed and chatted, but Agisalaos looked bored, watching the women with an appraising eye.

"Look at him, the pig," muttered Medusa. "Already scouting for his next prey, I wager."

"How do I look?" I asked.

"Like a whore," said Medusa by way of a compliment. "Here." She took out a stick of rouge and smeared it messily over my lips. "It suits you."

"Thanks," I said begrudgingly.

She pushed me down the stairs. The soldiers turned to look at me, snickering. I straightened and tugged on my dress.

"Um, hello," I said awkwardly. "My name is Robin, and I too would like to thank you for your service."

"I can think of a few ways you could thank me for my service," shouted one soldier rudely. I scowled.

"Aw, smile, pretty lady!" yelled another one. "It's been a long time since I saw anything as beautiful as you."

"Shut up, you idiots," said Agisalaos, lazily. "Can't you see she's not that sort of woman?"

"Thank you, kind sir," I said, curtseying in his direction. "You alone seem to have some courtesy."

He took my hand and pressed his lips against my fingers. I tried not to shudder.

"That I do," he said in a low voice. "So tell me, Lady Robin, would you care to share a pint of ale with a weary soldier?"

"Sure," I said, forcing myself to smile at him. "It would be my pleasure."

He took my arm in his and walked me out of the castle. His fellow soldiers wolf whistled behind us, but we ignored them.

"I know a lovely little place close to here," he said. "If it hasn't changed since I left."

"I'm sure it's great," I said. "How were your journeys?"

"They were wearisome," he told me. "It's been a long time since I've had the pleasure of a woman's company."

"That must be rough."

"Well, it's clearly been worth the wait," he said, smiling lasciviously at me. We walked into a small, dingy pub, and he ordered two pints of ale. When they arrived foaming, he downed his in one gulp.

"Impressive," I said.

"Soldiers learn to eat and drink quickly," he said. "Otherwise we might get our throats slit before we finish."

"Is that likely though?" I asked. "I mean, don't you have people who watch for that sort of thing?"

"Truly, my travels were dangerous," he said loudly, ignoring my questions. "You're lucky I came home in one piece."

"Yes, lucky," I agreed, sipping gingerly at my ale.

"I suppose I'll be taking you home tonight?" he said.

I took a large gulp of ale to hide my disgust. "Um, sure. Why wait 'til tonight, though? You could come up to my room now."

"Eager little wench are you," he said, laughing. "Very well, I suppose you have needs that need to be satisfied. Your husband too small for you, I wager?"

"Yes, exactly," I said, resisting the urge to vomit. "Not fun at all. You should come at once, while he's off at work."

"Show me the way then," he said, slapping my behind. I fought the desire to punch him in the face, and maybe draw my sword.

I led him back into the castle and up to Medusa's room. The bed was made neatly, and there was a glass of water by the bedside table. I turned to Agisalaos, who was starting to take off his clothes. I closed my eyes, trying to find my way into his mind, which was sexual and atavistic. I tunneled my way through his dirty thoughts, and, with a gentle push, did my best to slow him down.

He sat on the bed and put his feet up on the covers. "I'm very tired, all of a sudden," he said unhappily. "This doesn't usually happen."

"It's alright," I said reassuringly. "We have plenty of time. You can rest first if you like."

He was already asleep, snoring loudly.

"What a pig," said Medusa, stepping out from behind the curtains.

"Tell me about it," I said. "What next?"

"Well, first," she said, smiling. "We're going to tie him up. And then the real fun begins."

Chapter Fifty Seven: Agisalaos Suffers

I wound thick cords of rope around Agisalaos' wrists and ankles, and we pulled his arms over his head and tied him to the headboard. Medusa tied his feet to the foot of the bed, and we pulled the rope taut so that he was stretched out in the middle.

"What are you going to do now?" I asked uncomfortably.

"I'm going to rip out his heart from his chest and eat it in front of him," Medusa whispered.

"What?" I said. "That's gross."

"No, I'm not going to do that," she said, rolling her eyes. "Gosh, you can be so stupid sometimes."

"Well, you're kind of scary right now, so you'll forgive me for not underestimating what you would be capable of."

"You don't have to stay if you don't want to," said Medusa.

"And what, come back later to clean up your mess?" I scoffed. "I said I'd help you, and I meant it."

She shrugged. "Alright, but I don't want you to hold me back just because you have a weak stomach."

"I do not have a weak stomach."

She took a stick and prodded Agisalaos in the stomach. "Can you wake him now?"

I released the push on his mind, and he stirred groggily, tugging at his wrists uselessly.

"What is this?" he said. "Is this some sort of game?"

"That's right," said Medusa. "This is a game, and you're going to lose."

"Who are you?" he demanded. "Release me at once."

"What's that, Agisalaos?" said Medusa playfully. "You don't remember me?"

"I've never met you in my life," he said angrily. "Let me go."

"Well, it just so happens," she said, straddling him on her legs. "I remember you. Very well, actually."

"I don't remember," he said. "Remove your scarf so I can see your face."

"Oh, you don't want me to do that," she said, running a finger up his chest. "Not yet, anyway."

"What are you going to do to me?" he said angrily, pulling on his bonds. "Answer me."

"Well, first, we're going to jog your memory," she said. "Do you remember where you were ten years ago?"

"Yes," he said slowly. "I was stationed on an island called Aeaea. What of it?"

"Well, do you remember a young girl you met there?" she asked, rocking back and forth slowly. Agisalaos groaned.

"Yes, I think so. Her name was Minerva?"

"Medusa," said Medusa in disgust. "My name was Medusa."

"What do you want?" said Agisalaos. "Didn't you enjoy our time together? I certainly did."

"I did not," said Medusa coldly. "That's why I told you to stop the whole time."

He shrugged. "Sometimes women don't know what they want."

"Is that so?" asked Medusa. "Well, I can assure you that I know what I want."

"And what is that?" asked Agisalaos.

"To pleasure you, of course," she said sweetly. She reached into his trousers and began stroking his cock. He moaned again, and began growing stiff. He arced his back into the air and tugged futilely at the rope.

"Does that feel good?" she whispered in his ear. "Do you like it?"

"Yeah," he said huskily. "Keep going."

"I don't think so," said Medusa. She stopped stroking his penis, and drew a knife from her dress.

"What are you doing?" cried Agisalaos, his eyes widening in alarm. "What are you doing? Stop it!"

"What's that?" she said, cocking her head. "You say you want me to stop? That sounds, well, that sounds rather familiar, doesn't it? I seem to recall asking you to stop, a long time ago. And, if my memory serves me correctly, I don't think you did."

"Please," he said, breathing heavily. "I'll do anything."

Medusa shook her head sadly. "You see, in our society, having a penis is a privilege, unfortunately. And it's a privilege I don't think you deserve."

"Please," he begged. "Whatever you want."

Medusa leaned down close to his ear. "I want you to suffer." With one swift motion, she sliced off his cock and with two sharp jabs, she removed his testicles. "I want you to suffer, the same way you made me suffer."

Agisalaos was screaming now, and tears ran down his face as he tugged on his binds. Blood ran in torrents down his legs, drenching the covers.

"Oh, do shut up," said Medusa, looking down on him in disgust. "You sound like a little girl. Aren't you ashamed of yourself? What would your fellow soldiers say if they could see you now?"

Agisalaos sobbed quietly, not meeting her eyes.

"What should I do with this?" said Medusa, slapping the dismembered penis against her hand. "Oh, I know," she said, smiling. "Since you loved it so much, why don't you eat it?"

Agisalaos screamed again, and when he opened his mouth, Medusa shoved the penis down his throat. He gagged and tried to spit it out, but Medusa held her hand over his mouth until he chewed and swallowed.

"That's better, isn't it?" she said. "Would you like a drink of water?"

He nodded pathetically. She poured the glass over his head, drenching his hair, and mixing with the blood on his mouth.

"Well," she said, sitting on the edge of the bed. "Are you having fun yet? I know I am."

"Please," he said shakily. "You've got your revenge. Just let me go now. I won't tell anyone." 

"Damn right you won't," said Medusa. "And do you know why?"

He shook his head.

"Because dead men don't talk."

Agisalaos began trembling. It was hard not to feel sorry for him.

"That's right," said Medusa in a sing song voice. "I'll kill you, but you have to ask first."

"That's ridiculous," said Agisalaos. "Why would I do that?"

"Not only do you have to ask," she said, sweetly. "But you'll really have to beg for it."

"You're insane," he said, staring at her. "You've lost your mind."

"Oh no," said Medusa. "I've found it. It's taken me ten years, but I've finally got my sanity back."

She took a handful of salt and threw it over Agisalaos' wounds. He screamed, and she slapped him hard against the face.

"Shut up," she said harshly. "Do you want the whole castle to hear you?"

"They'll punish you for this," he said, panting. "They'll execute you for hurting a soldier."

"No one will miss you," said Medusa coldly. "They won't even remember your name."

She took her knife and began making shallow cuts on his chest and arms. She threw salt into those cuts, and he whimpered pitifully. Then she took out a small jar from her pocket.

"They say living well is the best revenge," she said, thoughtfully, shaking the jar. "But I say it's fire ants." And with that, she dumped the jar on his chest, and stepped back to watch.

The ants swarmed out of the jar, bright red and angry. Agisalaos screamed as they started stinging and biting his wounds. He yelled until he was hoarse, and then his cries fell silent.

"Tickles, doesn't it?" said Medusa, cleaning her nails. "I've heard varying reports, but most agree that they are not particularly pleasant."

When the ants had finished savaging Agisalaos, Medusa placed the jar on the bed, and they crawled back inside. She screwed the lid on tight, and replaced the jar in her pocket.

"Please," said Agisalaos weakly. "What are you doing? Just let me go. You've had your fun."

"Oh, this?" said Medusa, waving her hand casually. "This is just an appetizer. We haven't even gotten to the soup and salad yet."

"What are you going to do to me?" he said.

"Oh, I don't know," she said. "Maybe set you on fire, drown you, poison you, stab you. There's a whole world of pain out there you haven't even tasted yet!" 

"Just kill me then," he said, his chest heaving.

"What's that?" she asked. "Did you say something?"

"I said," he repeated loudly. "Just kill me. Just kill me and get it over with."

"Oh, I will," said Medusa. "And I will enjoy it. But don't rush me."

She took out a tall bottle from the cupboard.

"See this?" she said, waving it in front of Agisalaos' face. "This is acid. Very, very strong acid. I use it for my cleaning, and you, my friend, are very dirty."

"Keep that away from me," said Agisalaos.

"For instance, the way you talked to my friend over here?" said Medusa, clucking her tongue. "Very rude. Very impolite. We should wash your mouth out." And she poured a generous dose of the acid down his throat. He screamed, long and raw and painful. Bright red blisters sprang up over his mouth and neck.

"The way you look at women?" said Medusa. "It's not great. We should wash your eyes out." She splashed the acid over his eyes, and he writhed in pain.

"Kill me!" he screamed. "Kill me now!"

She poured the rest of the acid over his chest, where it bubbled with the blood from his cuts.

"Well, if you insist," she said, pulling out her knife. With a swift, hard stroke, she plunged it up to the hilt into his stomach, and he screamed again. She brought it down again and again, and blood spurted everywhere.

"How's that feel?" she asked, wiping the knife on the covers. His breathing was shallow now, his chest moving up and down with effort.

"Any last words?" she asked, prodding him with the hilt of the knife. "It's not too late to apologize, you know."

He coughed, a spatter of blood leaving his mouth. "I'll…"

"Yes? Go on?"

"I'll see you in hell," he whispered. And then he fell back against the bed, his eyes open and unseeing.

Chapter Fifty Eight: Clean up

"Well?" I said. "Did you get what you wanted?"

Medusa shrugged. "He died rather quickly. Rather disappointing."

"People do tend to die when you stab them twenty times in the chest."

"I didn't stab him that much," she said.

"What now? What are we supposed to do with a body in your bed?"

"Burn him? I don't know," she said. "I was hoping you could magic him away."

"I don't know how to make things that big disappear," I said.

"Well, we can't leave him here," said Medusa. "And he certainly doesn't deserve a burial."

"I guess burning him is the way to go then," I said reluctantly. "Can we take him out on the balcony?"

She wrapped the sheets around him tightly, and we dragged the body out onto the balcony. She poured oil over him, drenching the sheets.

"Do you have a light?" she asked. I nodded, and the body burst into flames. We watched as it slowly burned down to bones and ash.

"How do you feel?" I asked her as we swept the remains over the edge of the balcony.

She shrugged. "I feel okay, I guess. I've been planning that for a very long time. What I would say. What I would do. It was all I thought about in that hole."

"Did it go according to plan?"

"Yes, mostly."

"But?" I asked.

"But nothing," she said. "It just wasn't as exciting as I thought it was going to be."

"How so?"

"I don't know," she said. "He wasn't big or scary as I remembered. And, in the end, I pitied him."

"Did you forgive him?" I asked.

She shook her head. "What he did was unforgivable, but he was a weak person. I felt sorry for him."

"That's something, I guess," I said.

"It's over now," she said. "I guess I have to find something else to think about."

"Are you at peace?"

She laughed. "What I did to him, that doesn't change anything that he did to me. All those things happened. All I've done is make sure that he can't do the same thing to any one else."

"That's good, right?" I said.

"Yeah, all in a day's work, I guess."

We sat there for a while, watching the sunset over the distant horizon. It was an eerily quiet evening.

"Medusa?" I said after a long pause.

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry about what happened to you," I said. "And I wish it had never happened. But I hope you've been able to find closure. And I hope you'll be able to move on, and not let this define you."

She nodded. "Thanks, Robin. You're a really good friend. I'm glad we found each other."

"Are you going to tell anyone about this?" I asked.

She shook her head. "No, and you shouldn't either."

"Not even Adam?"

"Not even him," she said. "If anyone finds out what I've done, both our heads will be on the line."

I nodded in assent. "What will you do after this? Are you going to go back to Aeaea?"

She shook her head. "There's nothing for me there. I was hoping I could stay with you for a while longer?"

"Of course," I said. "You're always welcome with us. I'll talk to Snow. She'd love to have you stay, I'm sure."

Medusa smiled gratefully. "Thank you so much. What about you, Robin? What is next for you?"

"I guess I'll have to go find this Katrina everyone keeps talking about," I said. "And see what the prophecy is. And then maybe marry Adam? I don't know yet."

"You could do a lot worse than Adam," she observed.

"Yeah, he is pretty perfect," I admitted. "It's just that I'm not sure if marriage is right for me."

"You don't want kids? A house with a white picket fence and a pond in the back? You don't want to cook in the kitchen barefoot?"

I laughed. "You know that's not me." 

"I should hope not," she said. "Not when you're supposed to be the next Witch Queen."

I groaned. "I don't know about that either."

"You've got some time to figure it out," she said. "And you can always talk to Katrina about it. I heard she's not too frightening."

"I hope not."

"What about children? You don't want to be a mother?"

"I don't know," I said. "Rumplestiltskin has dibs on my firstborn, so I don't know how responsible it would be for me to bring anyone into this world."

"You can have more than one kid, you know?" she said pointedly.

"What about you? You want a husband, kids, all that?"

She laughed. "Who would marry me? They'd turn to stone the moment they saw me."

"You never know," I said. "Love works in mysterious ways."

Chapter Fifty Nine: Coven

The next morning, we consulted Ursula on how to find Katrina.

"There's really no telling where she is," she told us over breakfast. "She could be in the Enchanted Forest or Neverland for all we know. The best you can do is go to the place where she was spotted last and hope for the best."

"Can't we summon her or something?" I asked

"Not if you value your life," said Ursula. "No one summons the Witch Queen. She goes as she pleases."

"Great," said Adam, sitting down to a plate of eggs and sausages. "When do we leave?"

"You're not coming with us," Ursula said.

"What? Why not?" I asked.

"Because he's a man," said Ursula. "And he's not a witch."

"So I guess it's just us two again," said Aurora, a little too happily.

"You're not coming either," said Ursula.

"Like hell I'm not," said Aurora.

"You're not a witch," said Ursula. "Maybe next time."

Aurora scowled and stabbed her eggs angrily.

"So who's going?" I asked.

"Me," said Ursula. "And Medusa, if she wants to."

"Sure," said Medusa. "I love a good coven as much as the next witch."

"What about me?" asked Flynn. "I'm magic."

Ursula rolled her eyes. "Katrina doesn't like men."

"She doesn't need to like me," he said. "I just want to meet more witches."

"Alright, if you must," said Ursula. "Get your stuff ready by noon. We're leaving on horseback."

We set off under the heat of the high noon sun. I wore a loose kirtle and moccasins. We rode on four different horses, and we went at a brisk pace north, towards the Enchanted Forest.

We stopped at a small pub for the night, and I found myself missing Aurora as we sat at the bar, drinking and sharing stories.

"When we meet Katrina," Ursula was saying to Flynn. "Try not to talk too much."

"Why's that?" he asked.

"Because she doesn't like men."

"Why?"

"Because men are assholes," said Medusa wisely, taking a bite of her sandwich.

"Because the coven is only for women," said Ursula. "Men are allowed in meetings only on special occasions."

"That doesn't seem fair to me," said Flynn. "What about all the wizards and sorcerers?"

"They usually work on their own, actually," said Ursula. "Or else they have a secret society I don't know about."

"I don't see why they shouldn't work together," he said grumpily.

"Well, you can take that up with Katrina when you see her," said Ursula. "Although I wouldn't push it if I were you."

"What does she do to people she doesn't like?" I asked.

"Oh boy," said Medusa. "What doesn't she do? She turns them into animals, curses them, gives them horrible illnesses, cripples them, turns them deaf and blind…"

"Wow, seems like a pleasant lady," I said dryly.

"Well, she is, when you are on her good side," said Ursula. "She'll like you, I'm sure."

"How do you know?" I asked.

Ursula shrugged. "You're just her type. I'm sure she'll see herself in you. She likes strong, independent young women."

"A feminist?" asked Flynn.

"Something like that," said Ursula. "But mostly she does whatever suits her. You'll see."

"Sounds like a wild card to me," I said.

"She is a little unpredictable," Ursula admitted. "But times with her are never boring, you have to give her that much."

"Have you met her?" I asked Medusa. She nodded.

"I went to a few coven gatherings when I was younger," she said. "Nothing really interesting ever happened at any of them, though."

"What's a coven like?" I asked.

"It's pretty standard," Medusa said. "Basically you have a gathering of witches. The last time I was there, there were fifty of us or so. And then Katrina or whoever the Witch Queen is appears, and each witch presents herself to her, and swears fealty. It's very dull. Then, when all that is over, the witches with problems or questions consult with Katrina, and she deliberates and passes judgment. Then sometimes a prophet will speak and make a prediction, although that's really rare."

"A prophet?" I asked.

"Yeah," said Ursula. "Prophets see the future."

"I know what a prophet is," I said, rolling my eyes.

"Usually it's an older witch who's gone blind," said Medusa. "Her sight turns inward, and towards the future. I've only met one, and she was really creepy."

"Well, this entire coven thing sounds like a huge party," I said.

Ursula shrugged. "It will be good for your education. And who knows? You might meet some interesting people."

We retired for the night and went to our separate rooms. I slept soundly and dreamt of blind women and dark wings.

Chapter Fifty Nine: Witches Gather

The next morning we set off into the forest, leaving our horses at the inn. The woods were too dense to ride on horseback, so we struggled through the underbrush, using our swords and magic to clear a path the best we could.

"But you're saying that she might not even be here?" asked Flynn incredulously.

"I'm saying that there's no telling where she is," said Ursula patiently. "So just stop complaining and keep walking."

"I'm just saying," said Flynn, batting a branch away from his head. "If we don't know where she is, what's the point in traveling all this way to look for her? We might as well stay in the palace and, I don't know, wait for an invitation or something."

"Oh, shut up," said Medusa. "You're just making this worse." She stopped to untangle her scarf from a tree.

"Well, the last coven was held here," said Ursula. "So there's a good chance the next one will be too, or at least we'll run into someone who does know where it is."

"Can we at least find a trail?" asked Flynn.

"We need to find a crossroads," said Ursula. "Then we can summon Hecate, and ask her where the coven is."

"Who's Hecate?" I asked. "And why do we need to go to a crossroads to find her?"

"Hecate is a witch, and she's associated with crossroads, entrances, fire, light, the moon, magic, necromancy, and sorcery," Ursula told me.

"That seems like quite a list," I said. "What does she do?"

"She's been around since ancient times," said Ursula. "She knows everything about the coven, and she's one of Katrina's right hand women."

There was a scuffling from behind us, and we turned towards the sound. A large black dog emerged from the underbrush, wagging its tail and panting amicably. Flynn patted it on its head, and it licked his hand.

"Do you think that's one of hers?" asked Medusa.

"Probably," said Ursula. "We might as well follow it."

The black dog led us through the forest, trotting at a reasonable pace, and stopping to wait for us when we fell behind. Eventually, it led us to a road, and the road wove through the forest until we came to a crossroads, and it forked into three paths.

Ursula pulled a tall white candle from her bag. She took a piece of flint and struck it, lighting the wick. She placed the candle at the center of the crossroads, and taking out a knife, she cut her hand and let the blood drip over the flames. It burned a bright black.

"Hecate, I summon you, sister witch," she intoned.

There was a whirring noise, and a breeze rustled the dry leaves at our feet. Suddenly, three figures appeared, one on each of the three paths. For some reason, it hurt to look at them. They walked towards us and somehow merged into one figure. She had long dark hair that hung in waves around her thin, pale face. Her eyes were large and luminescent. When she spoke her voice was high and clear.

"I am Hecate, my sisters," she said. "How can I be of assistance?"

"We're looking for the coven," said Ursula. "Do you know where it is?"

"There has not been a coven for a long time," she said, frowning. "Who told you there would be one?"

"Why hasn't there been a coven for a while?" asked Medusa. "Is something wrong?"

Hecate shook her head. "A darkness comes across the land. I know not what it is. A coven would be useful. Perhaps you are right in this."

"Well, if there was a coven, do you know where it would be?" asked Ursula.

"You are not far from the clearing where gatherings are held," said Hecate. "I will go with you if you like."

"Sure," said Ursula. "We'd love some company."

"Very well," said Hecate. "We will head down the middle path. It should not be more than a day's walk from here."

We set off down the middle path in silence, feeling awkward in the company of our new guest.

"So, Hecate," I said lamely. "What's your story?"

She looked at me curiously. "What do you mean?"

"Um, I mean, where do you come from? What do you do all day? Any hobbies? Any musical instruments?"

She looked puzzled. "I have no beginning and no ending. I was here when the earth was young, when the mountains were still hills and the oceans were still ponds. I will be here long after they are gone, when everything is dust and despair."

She paused for a moment. "I also like knitting," she admitted.

"That's nice," I said stupidly. "I've never learned to knit myself."

She nodded solemnly. And we walked on in silence.

"We're close," she said, sometime late in the afternoon. "I can sense the power of this place. It is old."

"Yeah, it feels kind of freaky," said Flynn, shivering. "Where is it?"

"Look, ahead," said Hecate. She pointed, and we saw a clearing surrounded be a ring of tall white pines.

"We've arrived," she said solemnly. I could feel the magic in the air, shimmering like some thin veil over the grass and the trees. It tingled on the surface of my skin, like electricity.

"So, where's the coven?" asked Flynn. "And will there be food?"

"I don't know," said Hecate with a hint of disdain. "I never eat."

"You're missing out," said Flynn.

There was a whirring sound, and a tall woman dressed in a black cloak appeared out of thin air.

"Greetings, Witch of Endor," said Hecate.

"Greetings, sister," answered the witch. "Is there a coven today?"

"It seems so," said Hecate. "Do you know where the Witch Queen is?"

"She's coming," said another woman, who materialized with a crack. She too wore black, and carried a broomstick.

"Greetings, Lilith," said Hecate and the Witch of Endor in unison.

"Long time no see," said Lilith. She removed her peaked hat, revealing bright red hair beneath.

"When is the coven?" asked Medusa.

"The same time it's always been," said another witch. "Under the light of the full moon."

"Greetings, Ceridwen," said Ursula.

"Greetings, sister," answered Ceridwen.

"Are there so few of us?" asked Ursula.

"Our number dwindles," said Lilith. "The witch hunters prey on us day after day, and those with powers are too afraid to reveal themselves. Children with the talent are left out to die."

"That's horrible," I said. "Isn't there anything we can do about it?"

Ceridwen shook her head. "The time of the witch is at an end. Our kind will die like the leaves on the trees. Soon, the witch will be no more."

There was a clap of thunder, followed by a flash of lightening.

"Katrina's signature," said Medusa. "She must be close now."

And then a large wall of mist rolled into the clearing. I shuddered at the cold and damp. When the mist had cleared, a tall woman stood at the center of the glen, her face beautiful, cold and proud.

"Welcome, sisters. Let us begin," said Katrina, the Witch Queen.

Chapter Sixty: Thirteen

"All hail the Witch Queen!" called Hecate.

"Hail," said the witches in unison. They spread out in a circle around Katrina. One by one each witch stepped forward and introduced themselves.

"Hecate."

"Lilith."

"Ceridwin."

"The Witch of Endor."

"Morgan le Fay."

"Cassandra."

"Cersei."

"Ariel."

"Medusa."

"Ursula."

"Flynn."

"Robin."

"And I am Katrina," said the queen in conclusion. There were thirteen of us gathered there under the light of the full moon.

"Sisters," she said, holding out her hands. "It is good to see you again."

Everything about Katrina was black. Her skin, her thick braided hair, her eyes, even her lips. Only her teeth flashed bright white in that face that would be lost in a shadow.

"Greetings," murmured the witches.

"Our numbers have dwindled," she observed. "When I was a child, witches numbered in the thousand fold. When I became Witch Queen, they were hundred strong. Last time we met, there were fifty of us. Now, only thirteen."

"The time of the witch is over," repeated Ceridwen.

Katrina waved her hand dismissively. "Nonsense, our era has barely begun. We will once again rule the earth, my sisters. You know this will be."

"Now, what are your complaints? Let me hear your grievances, and I will resolve them the best I can."

The witches' grievances ranged from property disputes to child custody issues. They seemed to go on forever, and I could feel myself falling asleep where I stood. I longed for a place to sit, but I kept my posture straight and tall, reminding myself that I was to be the next queen.

Finally, the grievances ended. I stepped forward.

"Hello, your majesty," I said, bowing deeply. "My name is Robin. I am pleased to finally meet your acquaintance."

"Greetings, Robin, baker's daughter," said Katrina with a nod. "I have heard of you as well."

"Good things, I hope."

"A bit of both," she said. "I heard you saved two druid children, and that you were burnt for witchcraft as punishment."

"That's true."

"I heard that you took a unicorn's horn, and you took water from the Lake of Avalon, and one of Medusa's hairs, and with these items you undid a curse."

"That's true."

"I heard you killed Tinkerbell of Neverland."

"That's true."

"Well then, sister witch," she said, granting me a faint smile. "How can I help you?"

"I've heard of a prophecy," I said, choosing my words carefully. "And I was told you could give me the full account of what was in this prophecy."

"Indeed," said Katrina. "Our last coven was twenty years prior, the year you were born. There was a prophecy that told of a great witch who would come and lead our coven out of the darkness."

"That is supposed to be me?" I asked.

She shrugged. "Prophecies are strange things. I don't usually concern myself with them, but you can ask Cassandra. She is our resident prophet."

Cassandra stepped forward. She had long white hair that hung straight to her waist, and her eyes were a milky bluish white.

"The prophecy you speak of was made by the witch who preceded me, whose name was Miriam. She died several years later, and the prophecy concerning you was the last one she made." 

"She spoke of a witch who would dwarf the most powerful of us in strength and courage. She would rise to prominence at a young age, and many of her heroics would be sung of throughout the land. Her name would be set up against the stars. She would be the new Witch Queen, and a queen like her there never was, and never will be. She would lead the witches out of a valley of despair, and under her reign, magic would fill the land, bringing prosperity to all."

"She would have two children, and they too will have great powers. One will be dark, and one will bring light. They too will shape the history of our lands."

There was a silence, and Cassandra bowed deeply towards the queen, then returned to her spot in the circle.

"Thank you," said Katrina, nodding at me. "It looks like you have interesting things in store for you." I nodded and bowed slightly.

Cassandra stepped forward again, her eyes turned pale white.

"I have another prophecy," she said in a raspy voice that was completely different from her own. "I have seen into the future, and it is dark, and we are overcome with despair."

"Speak, sister," said Katrina.

"A darkness is spreading across the land," she continued. "A disease strikes down those with magic. Witch hunters are killing our sisters one by one, like a scythe striking down stalks of wheat. We will die if we do not fight back."

"There is a tree in the middle of a forest, a magical tree that is older than this land. A snake has entwined itself in its roots, and its venom poisons the mighty tree. Leaves fall, one by one. When the final leaf falls, so too will this kingdom, and the lives of witches and mortals alike will be forfeit. We must not let this tree die."

And then Cassandra fainted, collapsing into a small heap.

Chapter Sixty One: Darkness Falls

"Let her be," said Katrina in a bored voice. "Prophesizing takes a lot out of you. Anyone else have anything they'd like to share?"

Flynn stepped forward nervously and cleared his throat.

"Go on, little boy," said Katrina, nodding.

"Well," said Flynn, looking at his feet. "I've noticed that there aren't a lot of men at your meetings, and I was wondering why that was."

"Because men are assholes," Medusa whispered under her breath.

"Because men have never wanted to parlay with us as equals," said Katrina. "Whenever they join us, they dominate the floor and condescend us, as if their magic were stronger than ours. But we women are closer to the earth. We know what it is to give birth, and we know what it is to bury our children. Men can never understand such things."

Flynn nodded. "But what if they agreed to defer to you in all matters and only speak when spoken to?"

"We call that marriage." The witches chuckled.

Flynn blushed. "Alright then. Thank you for listening, your majesty."

"Very well. If there are no more complaints, then I declare this coven at an end. Thank you for your attendance."

The witches dispersed, some of them disappearing right away, and others staying to chat.

"Robin," said Katrina. "We should talk."

"Um, yes, your highness," I said, joining her.

"Please, call me Katrina," she said, giving me a warm smile.

"Thanks," I said.

"So, you are to be my successor, then?" she asked.

"If it pleases you," I said politely.

She laughed. "I've got no say in the matter, my dear. It's entirely up to you."

"I could refuse?" I asked.

"You could," she said, shrugging. "But fate has a way of catching up with us, no matter how fast we run or where we hide."

I nodded.

"You're a smart girl," she said. "I can tell. You'll make a good queen."

"I heard we might have to duel or something?" I said, embarrassed.

She laughed. "I suppose if I really wanted to hang on to this position, we might, but I've no love for being queen."

"Really?" I asked.

"It's not all it's chalked up to be," she admitted. "It's a bore, most of the time, and when it's not, it's tiresome. I never have time to be myself."

"That doesn't sound fun," I said sympathetically.

"You'll figure it out," she told me. "Once you're queen, you'll have to decide what kind of a ruler you want to be. You'll have to choose between being feared and being loved, as all rulers do."

"I'd rather be loved, of course," I said.

"That's what everyone thinks," she said. "But if your people don't fear you, they won't obey you, and then you'll find that all your powers and titles are naught but smoke and mirrors."

"I won't be a tyrant," I said.

She shrugged. "Suit yourself. You won't know what kind of queen you are until the crown is upon your head. And then it will be too late."

"Too late for what?"

"To go back to what you were before," she replied. "My sweet, innocent child, you have no idea what you are capable of."

I stared at her as she went away to talk to someone else. I turned, and jumped, because standing right behind me was a short witch with reddish hair and a tall forehead.

"Hello," she said brightly.

"Can I help you?" I asked.

"I just wanted to meet you," she said, smiling. "My name is Morgan le Fay."

"Hi Morgan," I said awkwardly. "How are you doing?"

"I'm doing well," she chirped. "How do you feel about all this prophesizing? It's really exciting, in my opinion."

"I don't know," I said. "I'm not sure I like the idea of fighting a snake or impending darkness."

"You're going to have two kids though," she said cheerfully. "That's something to look forward to, right?"

"I suppose so," I said. "I heard another prophecy that said they're supposed to be twins."

"Really?" she said. "Twins are rare. They're awfully powerful magic, especially if both twins stay alive."

I shrugged. "I guess so."

"Do you have any siblings?"

"No," I said shortly. Her cheeriness was starting to grate on me.

"I don't suppose your troupe could use a new member, could it?" she asked.

"I don't know," I said hesitantly. "We're kind of packed at the moment."

"I don't take up a lot of space!" she said. "And I'm super useful, magic wise."

"Yeah?" I asked. "What do you do?"

"I can shape shift," she said, elongating her nose and narrowing her eyes as she spoke. "And I can read minds too."

"That's pretty cool," I said reluctantly.

"It is, isn't it?" she said happily. "So am I in or what?"

"Sure," I said with a sigh. "Why not?"

Chapter Sixty Two: Morgan le Fay

The next morning, our group of four plus Morgan met to discuss what we should do next.

"I guess we should find this tree," I said. "Especially if we've got a deadline with the last leaf falling and all that."

"But what about the darkness falling over the land?" argued Ursula. "That seems like something we should worry about."

"We should split up," said Medusa. "Some of us should go back to the kingdom, tell the others. And some of us should go to the tree."

"Sounds like a solid plan," said Ursula. "I'll head back to the kingdom. I'll be faster if I travel alone. The rest of you go east and find the tree."

"Where exactly is it?" I asked.

"They say it's the center of the world," said Ursula. "But if you travel east you should run into the Ancient Forests, and eventually, when you reach the center, the tree should be right there."

"This is so exciting!" exclaimed Morgan. Medusa rolled her eyes behind her scarf.

"I'm glad someone's having fun," said Ursula dryly. "It's not like the fate of our world rests on our shoulders or anything."

Morgan ignored her. "Have you heard the rumors of the Ancient Forests?"

"No, what do they say?" I asked.

"They say there are giants out there," said Morgan excitedly. "Giants, and a Cyclops!"

"What's a Cyclops?" asked Flynn.

"They're giants with one eye," said Medusa. "They eat people, so you better hope you never meet one."

"Do the giants eat people?" I asked.

"Not usually," said Ursula. "They are usually a peaceful breed. They eat plants, mostly, and sometimes small animals."

"Well, that's one less thing to worry about," I said, relieved.

"Alright then," said Ursula, rising to her feet. "I suppose this is where we depart? Are there any messages you would like me to bring?"

"Give Adam my love," I told her. "And Aurora too."

Ursula nodded. "Will do. Do you have your mirror?"

I shook my head. "I left it in the castle. We left in a rush."

"That's okay," said Ursula. "Have Medusa teach you how to scry. It won't give you a two way means of communication, but you'll be able to see Adam."

I hugged her quickly, and she said her farewells to Medusa and Flynn. She pulled herself atop her horse and galloped off to the south.

"So," I said, to my remaining fellow travelers. "East?"

We began our long trek eastward, with the sun following us and warming our backs. Medusa, Flynn and I walked in silence, while Morgan sang little songs.

"Don't you worry, there my honey, we might not have any money, but we've got our love to pay the bills," she sang.

"Are you ever not happy?" I asked, exasperated.

"No," she said, surprised. "Life is too short to be unhappy."

"You're ridiculous," said Medusa.

"Why must you be so hateful?" Morgan asked, looking upset.

"Because I spent the last ten years of my life being utterly miserable, and I don't need your cute little love songs," said Medusa. I snickered.

"Haven't you ever been in love?" asked Morgan.

"No," said Medusa shortly.

"Never?" said Morgan in surprise. "You've never loved anyone?"

"Love is a biochemical phenomenon that manifests itself in temporary psychosis," said Medusa. "I don't care to indulge in such fantasy."

"That's really sad," said Morgan, looking crestfallen. "I really hope you find happiness one day."

"I didn't say anything about being unhappy," said Medusa. "I was talking about being in love."

"Love makes you happy," said Morgan. "Trust me, I would know."

"Oh boy," I muttered under my breath. "Here we go."

"It's true," said Morgan. "I was in love once. His name was Uriel. He was the most beautiful man in the –"

"No one cares," said Medusa loudly. "No one cares about your lover. No one cares about what you think. Just shut up for once in your life."

Morgan fell silent, her smile disappearing from her face. Part of me felt bad for her, but another part of me wanted to give Medusa a hug.

We walked on quietly, each lost in our own thoughts. The landscape gradually changed from forest to field to desert. The sun beat down over our heads, and the hot sands burned our feet. Above us, the sun hung like a golden coin suspended in a deep blue sky. Vultures circled ominously above us, keeping a watchful eye out for potential prey.

"Are we there yet?" whined Flynn.

"Don't you start," threatened Medusa. "I'll take off my scarf and turn you into stone."

Flynn grumbled indistinguishably. Morgan laughed at him and he threw her a dirty look.

"Come on, guys," I said, trying to practice my leadership skills. "We're all in this together, so try not to fight."

"We weren't fighting," said Flynn. "I was just wondering when we'd get there."

"It's another week's walk at most," said Medusa. "Three days at least if we walk fast and don't sleep much."

"A week's walk it is," said Flynn decidedly.

"You don't mind that the weight of the world is on our shoulders?" I asked. "I mean, if all the leaves fall, the world is basically coming to an end."

"Fine," said Flynn, rolling his eyes.

"Look!" said Morgan. We followed her finger, and our jaws dropped. Before us stood the tallest trees we'd ever seen in our lives. Their trunks were so thick the four of us could have linked arms and still we would not be able to reach around the entire thing. They grew so tall and high I thought they would scrape the clouds from the sky.

"Looks like we've reached the Ancient Forest," said Morgan.

Chapter Sixty Three: The Ancient Forest

We stepped cautiously into the forest, which was eerily silent. It was as if the trees and their thick leaves muffled all of the sound. Above us, colorful birds flew between the branches, their wings flashing bright blue and yellow.

"We're supposed to walk through this thing?" Flynn asked skeptically.

Medusa nodded. "This place is old. Older than time."

"How can something be older than time?" asked Flynn.

"It just is, okay?" said Medusa, irritated.

"That doesn't make any sense," Flynn pointed out. "You can't have something older than time. Time is a measure of age."

"Shut up, would you?" said Medusa. But her mouth twitched in a smile.

The underbrush was sparse, and we walked quietly between the massive trees, our feet crunching leaves and dry grass underfoot. We could see clear through the trunks of the trees, and the forest seemed to go on forever. Soon we were surrounded on all sides by trees as far as the eye could see.

"Do you think we should stop soon?" asked Morgan. "It's really dark now."

She was right. We could barely make out the trees from the surrounding darkness. The crickets had filled the silence with their chirping.

"Yeah," I said decisively. "We'll stop here for the night."

We gathered at the foot of a tall tree with low hanging branches for shelter in case it was going to rain. The dew dripped off of the leaves, moistening our hair and necks. We huddled together for shelter, and out of the corner of my eye I noticed Flynn stretch his arm and wrap it around Medusa, who to my great surprise did not object. She leaned her head against his shoulder, and went to sleep. Flynn looked ecstatic.

The next morning we awoke to the steady dripping of rain, which must have fallen all night, given the muddy state of the forest floor. Luckily, thanks to the tree's branches we were mostly dry, although once we started walking again we'd be quickly soaked. I placed a small spell over our party to make us waterproof, and we went on our way, with only wet shoes and socks.

We trudged our way through the mud and slush, until our feet and legs were indistinguishable masses of dirt.

"You couldn't have put that spell over our feet, could you?" complained Flynn.

"Oh, shut up," I snapped in a very unqueenly tone. "If you keep going on like that I'll take that spell off and you can get soaked."

Flynn turned to Medusa, who was walking side by side with him. "So, if you see yourself in a mirror, would you turn to stone?"

"No," she said, irritated. "Why would I?"

"I dunno," he said. "I was just wondering."

"Well, stop wondering, because that's the answer," she said in a matter of fact way. "If you don't turn into stone when you see me in a mirror, why would I?"

"I didn't think of that," he admitted.

"That's not surprising," she said.

"So could I look at you in a mirror sometime then?" he asked. "Just to see?"

"Why?" she asked suspiciously. "So you can make fun of me?"

"No!" he said quickly. "Just because I think you'd be pretty. That's all."

Medusa blushed behind her scarf, ducking her head prettily. I snickered. She threw me a pleading look and I rolled my eyes at her.

"Speaking of mirrors," I said. "Ursula said you would help me learn to scry. Do you know what that is?"

"Yes," she said gratefully. "Scrying is just looking into a reflective surface and seeing something else, usually someone far away, who is also located near some reflective surface. Usually it's one directional, which means the other person can't see you, but some powerful witches can do it both ways."

"Well, good thing I'm a powerful witch then," I said modestly.

Medusa laughed. "I can show you when we stopped for the night."

When night finally fell, we collapsed at the foot of a tree that looked identical to the one we'd spent the night under the day before. It was as if we'd been going in circles, and I carved a deep gash into the tree to make sure we weren't.

"So can you show me now?" I asked Medusa. She nodded and scooted close to me.

"First, you need some sort of reflective surface," she said. "Do you have a sword? Or a small body of water?"

I closed my eyes and focused, and a small pool of water appeared at our side. It shimmered faintly in the moonlight.

"Okay, good," she said. "Now, next you need to sit next to it at an angle, so you can see it out of the corner of your eye. Don't look directly at it, but sort of stare a few inches to the side so it's just in your peripheral vision."

I sat beside the pond and focused on a spot a few inches left of the water's edge. I could see the water rippling gently out of the corner of my eye.

"Good," she said encouragingly. "Now focus on what you want to see, or who you want to see. I figure that's probably Adam?"

I thought of Adam, and his new smooth skin, and his faint smile whenever he looked at me. I thought of his firm, soft lips, and the way his fingers had felt between my legs.

And then, suddenly, he was there, in the corner of my eye, just out of sight. I fought to keep my focus on the point to the left. He was standing in his room, wearing only a pair of loose white shorts, sitting on the bed. His arms were thick and knotted, and his abdominal muscles looked firm and well defined.

"Adam!" I cried. "It's me, Robin!"

But he couldn't hear me. He lay back against the pillows, staring up at the ceiling thoughtfully. He looked pensive, and I wanted to cradle his head in my arms.

"He can't hear you," said Medusa. "It's one directional so far, but you can try to make it a two way connection."

I focused very intently on the mirror in Adam's room, willing it to show my face. And then suddenly, he looked up, his jaw dropping.

"Robin!" he mouthed silently. "Is it really you?"

I nodded, feeling tears welling in my eyes. I smiled at him, and he smiled back, holding the mirror.

"I miss you," he said. I nodded again, and mouthed the words back at him.

"Come back to me," he said.

"I can't," I said. "I have to find a tree, and kill a snake, and I wish you were here with me."

"I would fly to you if I could," he said. I smiled.

"Get some rest," he told me. "Being a hero must take a lot out of you."

I laughed. "A heroine, Adam. I'm a heroine."

Chapter Sixty Four: Giants

That night I dreamt of Adam's arms wrapped around me, his body close against mine. But when I woke up the next morning, it was only Morgan, snoring softly.

"Get up," I said curtly, nudging her with the tip of my shoe. She looked up at me groggily, hurt.

"What did I do to you?" she complained.

"Nothing," I said shortly. "Just get up. It's time to get a move on."

Flynn and Medusa untangled themselves from one another, and I smirked silently. Medusa rolled her eyes at me.

"How was your night?" I asked innocently.

"It was fine," Medusa said, stretching. "Do you know where we are?"

"Yeah," I said sarcastically. "I have a magical map in the palm of my hand. The tree is just a few miles east."

"Jeez," she said, frowning. "What's got your goat?"

"What's a goat?" asked Morgan sleepily.

Medusa rolled her eyes. "It's like a cross between a sheep and a horse. It's got hooves, and horns, and it sort of neighs."

"Neighs?" said Morgan curiously.

"Like, nay," said Medusa lamely. We made a small breakfast of berries and the last of the bread we'd packed.

"I guess tomorrow doesn't look good," said Flynn grimly, finishing of the last piece of bread.

"Maybe it you didn't eat so much," scolded Medusa gently. But Flynn rolled his eyes and brushed her off.

"Let's head out," I said, brushing the crumbs off my trousers. We headed east again, orienting ourselves by the moss on the trees.

"When will we get there?" Flynn complained, stopping to shake stones out of his shoe.

"We'll get there when we get there," I said, feeling my patience run out.

"That doesn't mean anything," he said, his voice whiny.

"Do you know how annoying you sound right now?" I asked. "Like, seriously, do you even hear yourself?"

"Oh shut up," said Medusa, to my surprise. "I'd very much like to know what our itinerary looks like too, actually."

"I have no idea," I said shortly. "Ursula told us to walk east, so we walked east. She didn't say how long or how far, so we're just going until we see a large tree that looks like it's being poisoned by a snake, so that's what we'll do."

"This is ridiculous," said Medusa. "What if we've walked right past it? How would we even know?"

"We wouldn't," I said. "But we've got to believe Ursula. Otherwise we've got nothing left."

"We've got them," said Morgan, pointing.

And there, in front of us, were the largest people I'd ever seen, or at least, the largest body parts I'd ever seen. Their little toe came up to my shoulder, and I was about as tall as their ankle. They stood high above us, dwarfing even the enormous trees that composed the forest.

"Wow," breathed Flynn. Medusa nodded, catching his hand in hers.

"Um," I said hesitantly. "What should we do? Call out to them?"

"Do they speak English?" asked Medusa. I shrugged.

"Can you try speaking to them mentally?" Morgan asked. "I think some witches can do that sort of thing."

"Okay," I said nervously. "What if they're not friendly?" 

"They should be," Morgan said encouragingly. "That's what Ursula said."

I focused on the giant's presence, feeling my way tentatively up the foot and towards the mind. It felt old and wise and not altogether hostile, which eased my nerves.

"Hello," I said hesitantly in my mind. "I don't know if you can hear me, but there are four of us on the ground here, and we were wondering if you could speak with us."

Their mind moved slowly beneath mine. I had the sense that they were careful, deliberate creatures, who moved slowly but surely, like glaciers.

"Hello, little one," it said in a deep, resonant voice. "I will be careful not to step upon you."

"Thank you," I said gratefully. "What is your name?"

"I am called Neringa," said the giant. "My mate is called Og. What is your name?" 

"I'm Robin," I said. "And my friends are Flynn, Medusa and Morgan."

"Well met," said Neringa. "How can I be of assistance?"

"Well, we're looking for a tree," I said. "It's a very important tree, and it is dying because a snake is poisoning its roots. Do you know of it?"

The giant knelt, and we could see that it was a female, with an enormous beautiful face and large, luminescent eyes. She had dark, copper colored skin and thick braided hair.

"I know of this tree," she said solemnly. "It is, as you say, an important tree. If it dies, if the last of its leaves fall, this land will come to ruin. So it is written."

"We'd like to stop that, for sure," I said. "Do you think you could help us find it?"

The giantess nodded. "We giants do not meddle in the affairs of humans, just as men do not meddle in the affairs of ants. Nevertheless, the death of this tree will affect large and small alike, so I will take you to it, against my better judgement."

"Thank you," I said appreciatively, knowing better than to argue. "Your assistance will be deeply appreciated."

The giantess nodded and leaned towards us, reaching out a hand in peace. I looked at Medusa, Flynn and Morgan, and they shrugged. With a deep breath, I steadied myself and climbed onto the giant's fingers. And then, as easily as one might lift a teacup, we were carried upwards into the air.

Chapter Sixty Five: The Tree of Life and Death

I struggled to keep my balance as we stood on the giant's fleshy palm. Flynn looked green, and he knelt and retched over the side of the giant's hand. Medusa patted him on the back and offered him a drink of water from her water skin.

"You can take us to the tree then?" I asked the giantess.

"Yes, I can," she said gravely. "It will take us a few hours, but if you were to walk it might take you a few days more."

"Thank you so much," I said. "Is there any way we can repay you?"

Neringa shook her head. "You are about to change the fate of the world. It would be crude of me to add to your burden."

"Thanks," I said gratefully. We sat down and tried to hold on as Neringa began to take long, powerful strides through the forest. True to her word, we moved far quicker than we could ever have accomplished on foot. We watched in amazement as the forest flew by. Her feet barely seemed to touch the ground. For one so large, she moved with a grace that was almost supernatural.

"How will you kill the snake who poisons the tree?" she asked me.

"I don't know," I said honestly. "I figure I'd just improvise. My plans never end up working out anyway."

"You should reconsider," she said. "The snake is very large, and its poison very venomous. They call it a basilisk, and one glimpse from its eyes will kill you."

"Wow," I said nervously. "That doesn't sound too fun."

"No," she agreed. "That's why you and your companions should come up with some sort of plan."

I relayed Neringa's words to the rest of the group, and they did not look happy about it.

"It kills you with its eyes?" asked Flynn incredulously. "Does it have to look at you? Or do you have to look at it?"

"I think you need to look into its eyes," I said.

"Why don't we have Medusa look at it and turn it into stone?" asked Morgan. Medusa threw her a dirty look.

"Because that'll kill her?" I said impatiently. "We'd like to do this without too many casualties, would be my preference."

"That would be nice for me too," said Medusa. "Why don't you just turn it into a rock, or whatever it is you do?"

"I shape shift and read minds," said Morgan. "I can't change other things."

"What about you, Robin?" asked Medusa. "Can you just kill it with magic?"

"I don't know," I said hesitantly. "The basilisk is supposed to be magic. I don't think it will be that easy."

"Tinkerbell was magic," said Flynn. "And you killed her."

"Who's Tinkerbell?" asked Morgan.

"A fairy who lived in Neverland," said Flynn. "And Robin killed her without even lifting a finger."

"Oh, shut up," I said, irritated. "She asked me to."

"That's kind of sad," said Morgan.

"Do you guys have anything useful to say?" I asked. "Because we need to figure out how to kill a magical snake that kills with its eyes. In case you've forgotten."

"Well, clearly the first thing we have to do is get rid of its eyes," said Medusa.

"Now we're talking," I said, smiling at her.

"I heard you could kill a snake by whipping it like a whip," said Morgan.

"Do you want to pick up a basilisk?" I said, exasperated.

"No, but I thought it was kind of interesting," said Morgan sheepishly.

"Well, that's nice, but I think we're going to have to do better."

"Why don't we cut its head off?" said Flynn.

"That seems reasonable," I said. "Do you want to give it a go?"

"No," he said, looking stunned. "Why don't you do it? You're supposed to be the Witch Queen and all."

"Well, not yet," I said. "Besides, aren't you the man of the group?"

"Since when did you become a chauvinist?" asked Flynn. Medusa laughed.

"Whatever," I said. "Is that your best idea?"

"Yeah," said Flynn, looking embarrassed.

"You guys are useless," I said, rolling my eyes.

"Well, how's this for a plan?" said Morgan. "Two of us lure it out of its hole or whatever to a nook or a tight space. And then you jump out at it from above and slice its head up."

"That's actually pretty good," said Medusa, impressed.

"Thanks," said Morgan happily.

"Who wants to be bait?" I asked.

"Medusa and I can do it," said Flynn.

"What about me?" asked Morgan.

"Just, take pictures or something," I said absentmindedly.

"I think I can do better than that," she said, disappointed.

"Try not to get killed," I said. "And that goes for all of you."

The giantess spoke to me inside my head. "Robin, the tree is up ahead."

And before us there was an enormous tree that made even Neringa seem small. Its gargantuan branches stretched upward into the sky, and to my horror most of them were barren. Only three leaves remained in its upper branches, rustling gently in the wind.

"I guess we're here," I said breathlessly.

Chapter Sixty Six: The Basilisk

Neringa set us down at the foot of the tree. I shook her little finger in appreciation, and she bid us farewell.

"Good luck, Robin Baker," she said solemnly. "I hope we meet again, but if not, I hope fate is kind to you."

"Thank you for your help," I said. "But how did you know my name?"

"We giants have heard of your deeds," she told me. "Both the ones you have already done and the ones yet to come. You are a great witch, Robin, and you will be a great queen."

"Thank you," I said again. "I wish the best for you as well."

She smiled briefly, and walked back the direction she came.

"Well, what now?" asked Medusa. We stared up at the three leaves dangling from the highest branch.

"I guess we should go looking for that snake then," I said, sounding braver than I felt.

"Does that look like a good place to start?" said Morgan, pointing. There was a wide opening at the roots of the tree, a dark cave that gaped like some monstrous maw.

"Sure," I said. "Let's take a look."

We gathered cautiously around the hole, which looked as if it opened straight into the center of the earth. Flynn dropped a stone in, and we counted to twenty before hearing a distant splash.

"I guess there's water down there," I said.

"That must be what the snake has been poisoning," said Medusa.

"Who wants to go first?" I asked.

My friends stared at me, impassive.

"Oh, alright," I said, throwing up my hands. "Hand me a rope."

Morgan pulled a long rope out of her bag. I tied it around a low branch, and began making my way down, inching myself into the hole a little at a time.

"Feel free to join me whenever you like," I called up, when the opening became a small glimmer in the distance. Medusa threw me a thumbs up and began making her way down. Flynn and Morgan followed.

We climbed in silence, only calling out now and then to check to see how the others were holding up. I held on to the rope with my hands, and used my feet against the wall to brace myself and climb down. Very soon my hands were blistered and abraded, but I gritted my teeth and kept going anyway.

"How much longer do you think it is?" asked Flynn.

"I'm not sure," I said. "Do you have something else you could drop?"

"Not without letting go of the rope," said Flynn.

"Never mind then," I said.

"Do you hear something?" asked Medusa. We listened in silence for a moment, and indeed there was an interesting sound, a splitting noise, as if the rope was about to break.

"Uh oh," I said into the silence. And then, we were falling, tumbling, the wind blowing our hair into our faces. I struggled to find the right place to push, and then abruptly, we stopped, jerking backwards. We hung in the air, just above the dark waters. Medusa's skirt skimmed the surface, and there was a hissing sound as the material dissolved.

Carefully, I moved the four of us to the shore, and we stood there, collecting ourselves and trying to calm our pounding hearts. Medusa examined her dress gingerly.

"It's okay," she said. "I didn't like the color anyway."

"So I guess the venom's made the water really acidic," said Flynn.

"Yeah," I said. "So I guess we'll just have to keep out of it."

"Do you think the snake lives here?" asked Morgan.

I shrugged. "I don't know. But it's got to come out sometime. I mean, nothing can live in there, and it has to eat, right?"

"I guess so," said Medusa. "Should we start looking?"

I nodded in the darkness. We made our way carefully along the underground shore, making sure not to touch the waters edge. Every so often we would catch a glimpse of a lizard or a rat running along the ground. Here and there were large piles of what looked to be old snakeskin.

"It doesn't look like our basilisk is small enough to whip," I observed. Morgan laughed nervously.

There was a soft slithering noise before us. 

"Close your eyes!" I shouted, drawing my sword. Sure enough, it was the basilisk. I could see its wide, yellow eyes in the blade of my sword. It was thick as the trunk of the trees of the ancient forest, and its scales were a deep blue-black. It hissed angrily at us, baring its long fangs, which were about the length of my arm.

"Scatter!" I yelled, and my friend darted away in different directions. I stood there, holding my sword in my shaking hands. The snake reared up its head and hissed, spitting.

"Come and get it!" I said. It struck at me, and I ducked to the left. It smashed its head on some rocks, which made it spit angrily.

I lunged with my sword, and nicked its flank. It twisted around, its giant coils rolling, and hissed loudly at me. It struck again, and I dodged it by inches. I gave my sword a small magical push, and it burst into flames. The snake recoiled, and I took the moment to stab one of its eyes. The eye exploded, spraying me with vitreous fluid. The basilisk shrieked loudly, and I cowered at the awful sound.

It lashed out at me with its tail, and I dodged it the first time round, but the second time, it struck me squarely in the chest, knocking the wind out of me. I lay there for a moment, dazed, and the basilisk darted at me again. I rolled to one side and struck its other eye with my sword. It screamed again.

It twisted its head in agony, spitting and bleeding from the holes where its eyes used to be. I got to my feet again, and stabbed it with my sword. I drew blood, and it twisted around and hissed in fury. It darted at me again and again, and I rolled sideways to dodge it. I pressed myself against the wall, trying not to breathe. It sniffed the air suspiciously and slithered along the wall. When it had passed me, I brought my flaming sword down on its neck, and it screamed high and long. I brought my sword again and again, and I did not notice the blood spraying me or the long gash in my side. Finally, I stood there exhausted, the snake's head dead at my feet.

And then the pain hit me. I collapsed on the ground, in the blood and muck. I could feel the poison coursing through my veins like acid, and the world spun around me. My vision grew blurry, and I could feel myself passing out.

"Robin!" cried Medusa, rushing to my side. "Hold on!"

Chapter Sixty Seven: The Last Leaf

I could feel myself slipping away. Medusa pulled my head into her lap, and tried to use her skirt to stop the bleeding.

"Do something!" she cried at Morgan. Morgan knelt next to me, placing her hands over my wound. She began to sing in a high thin voice, in a language I'd never heard before. And then, suddenly, I could feel my strength coming back. My would healed, and I sat up to stare at the smooth pink skin.

Morgan slumped over, exhausted. Medusa pulled her into her arms, sweeping her hair away from her face.

"I think she's just worn out," said Medusa, checking her pulse. Morgan stirred and opened her eyes.

"You just saved my life," I said.

She nodded, getting up to her feet. "I told you I'd be useful."

"Yeah, I'll say," I said. "I owe you big time."

"Let's save this tree first," she said. "Can you get us out of here?"

"I don't know," I said. "We might have to climb up the side."

This turned out to be easier said than done. The sides of the cave were porous and filled with footholds, but they were slippery and treacherous. We made our way slowly up until we reached the opening, and we climbed out, relieved to be back in the sun.

"Well, that's bad news," I said dryly. As we watched, the last leaf fell off the branch and floated slowly to the ground. It fell at our feet and we stared at it.

"What now?" asked Flynn.

I shrugged. "I guess we killed that snake for nothing."

"That's not true," said Medusa. "The tree will recover. New leaves will grow. Peace will come again."

"Peace?" I asked.

"Oh yes," said Medusa, picking up the leaf and holding it up to the light. "Don't you know? When the last leaf falls, there will be war."

"Said who?" I asked.

"Everyone knows it," said Medusa, frowning. "We should return to the kingdom now."

"Is there anything we can do for the tree?" I asked.

Medusa shook her head. "There's nothing we can do for now. The snake is dead, but the water is still poisoned. The tree will have to repair itself."

"Is that likely?" I asked.

She shrugged. "Who knows? It's been here since the beginning of time, after all. I'm sure this sort of thing has happened before."

"Aren't basilisks really rare though?" I said.

"If not a basilisk then something else," she said impatiently. "At any rate, we should start heading back. Do you want to call your giantess friend again?"

"I don't know if I'd call her a friend," I said. "And besides, I have no idea where she is. How on earth am I supposed to call her?"

Medusa shrugged. "I guess we better start walking then."

And so walk we did, our feet tired and blistered, our shoulders peeling from the hot midday sun. We walked until nightfall, and then we stumbled onwards, yawning and exhausted, until we finally collapsed in a worn out heap at the foot of a tall tree.

The next morning we did the same thing, although we were hungry and sleepy. We had only berries we found in the forest to eat now, and our water skins were empty. We trudged on nevertheless, rarely speaking with one another, except to offer encouragement and a shoulder to lean on. So we traveled for four more days before we reached the end of the Ancient Forest.

"Well, aren't you glad that's over?" I said, my stomach grumbling. We hadn't eaten in a day.

"Do you think we can find some food now?" asked Flynn hopefully.

"Sure," I said. "But first we have to cross this desert, and also the Enchanted Forest."

Everyone groaned, and I said nothing. I was starting to tire of always being the encouraging one, and solving problems. Our group was only four people, and I dreaded the day when I would be in charge of an entire coven of witches.

When we reached the Enchanted Forest, Ceridwen was standing there waiting for us, her bright red hair visible from a distance.

"Greetings, sisters," she said to us, nodding at Flynn. "How was your journey?"

"It was okay," I said. "In that none of us died and we killed the basilisk. It was not good in that the last leaf fell off the tree."

She nodded. "We felt the reverberations of that leaf throughout the kingdom. You bear bad news indeed."

"Yeah, sorry about that," I said. "Say, you wouldn't happen to have some food for us, would you?"

"Of course," she said. "Come with me."

She led us to her cottage, which was mercifully close. She put a kettle of water on the stove, and gave us a box of cookies to start on. She put a delicious pan with meatloaf in the oven, and turned to watch us curiously.

"So, you're supposed to be the one who's going to save us all," she said, watching me.

I blushed. "I can't say if that's true, but thanks."

"That's what the prophecy said," she said. "And prophets are so rarely wrong."

"What makes you so sure it was me the prophecy was referring to?" I said.

"There were only two witches born the year the prophecy was made," she told me. "You, and another girl."

"Who?" I asked.

"A girl named Tabitha," said Ceridwen, distantly. "She was a powerful witch too. The prophecy might have been about her as well, but she went mad a few years ago, and disappeared. Some say she killed herself."

"That's awful," I said. "Did you know her?"

Ceridwen nodded. "She was my sister."

"I'm so sorry," I said.

She shook her head. "We didn't get along very well anyway. Who knows? She might still be out there. Maybe, if you're lucky, you won't have to be queen at all."

Chapter Sixty Eight: Ceridwen

"So, what's your story?" I asked, between bites of meatloaf, which was a little overcooked but still delicious.

Ceridwen shrugged, flipping her long auburn hair over one shoulder. "It's not that interesting, really."

"Well, I'd still like to hear it," I said politely.

"Alright," she said with a smile. "Well, I'm twenty six years old. I was born in a kingdom far away, and my parents fled as political dissidents. I grew up in this forest with my mother and my sister. My father was killed in battle, so I never really got to know him."

"I'm sorry to hear that," I said. "Did your mother remarry?"

She shook her head. "No, but she slowly went mad after he died, until she was a shriveled old woman who looked many decades older than she was. My sister and I took care of ourselves then."

"That must have been difficult," I said.

"It wasn't too bad until Tabitha started hearing voices. At first they just mocked her, insulted her, called her ugly, that sort of thing. But then they told her to hurt her. I found her smashing her hand with a hammer once. Another time she tried to light herself on fire. She cut herself all the time with razors and knives, so I had to take all the sharp things out of our house, but then she just tried to hang herself with sheets. She swallowed poison, drank herself silly. Everything she could think of."

"Why? Did she say?" I asked.

"No, but I think it was the voices. She was clairvoyant to a certain degree, so it was hard to tell the difference between her powers and her illness. I wanted to send her to an asylum, but when I went and looked, it was just so horrible. They keep the patients like animals there. I couldn't do that to my sister, although sometimes I wonder if that would have been the right thing. I couldn't have paid for it anyway."

"No one should have to go through that," I said sympathetically.

"Thanks," she said with a sigh. "When she ran away it was almost a relief. I almost didn't look for her, but I tried my best because she was my sister, and when she wasn't mad, she was my best friend."

"Did you ever find her?" I asked.

She shook her head. "I tracked her through the Enchanted Forest, all the way north to the Ice Kingdom. And then the trail went cold there. I don't know where she is, or if she's still alive."

"I'm sorry to hear that," I said. "Is there anything we can do to help?"

She shrugged. "Sure, keep an eye out for a crazy witch who looks like she wants to kill herself."

"Will do," I said.

"I'm exhausted," said Medusa, looking like she was about to fall asleep at the table. "Can we rest here?"

Ceridwen nodded. "You can have Tabitha's room. But that will only fit two of you."

We exchanged glances. I sighed. "You and Flynn can go ahead and take it," I said. "Morgan can sleep on the couch and I'll camp out on the floor."

"That's noble of you," said Morgan gratefully.

"It's what a queen does," said Medusa, grinning widely at me. I rolled my eyes.

And so I found myself lying on the ground, my cloak beneath my back, and my pack as a pillow. I listened to Medusa and Flynn murmur indistinctly to each other. I wondered if they would fall in love somehow, without Flynn ever looking upon her face.

And then, as if no time had passed, sunlight was streaming through the curtains. I sat up groggily, wondering if I'd gotten any sleep at all. Medusa and Flynn were already at the kitchen table, and Ceridwen was pouring them tall glasses of milk.

"Good morning, sleepyhead," said Morgan cheerily. She was busy wolfing down a bowl of oatmeal. I groaned and buried my head under my cloak.

"We've got to get moving," said Medusa, nudging me with her foot. "We've got the world to save, remember?" 

"Screw the world," I said, my voice muffled. "It can save itself."

"Come on," said Morgan, laughing. "If you don't get up soon, you won't have time for breakfast."

And so I dragged myself off the floor and lumbered over to the table, spooning oatmeal down my mouth so fast I didn't even taste it.

"Are you coming with us?" I asked Ceridwen. She shook her head.

"I have business here," she said. "And besides, who knows? Maybe Tabitha will come back some day."

"Sure," I said. "It was really nice of you to let us stay with you for the night, and for feeding us and everything."

"Anytime," she said. "I don't mind being on the good side of the next Witch Queen."

I laughed. "Of course. Let me know if you ever need anything, and I'll do my best to make it happen."

She nodded. "Safe travels, Robin. It was well met."

"Well met," I echoed. "I hope we meet again."

"I will see you at the next coven," she promised.

And with that, we set on our way back to the kingdom. I missed Adam so much it hurt physically. I wanted to stop and scry him to make sure he was okay, but we had to keep moving. That night, I made a small pool of water with my magic, and sat a little to the left, focusing on a point slightly over the pool.

Adam appeared alone in his room again, looking nonchalant and bored. I decided to watch him for a while before making the connection two way, to see if he would do anything strange or embarrassing. He seemed to be reading a book, but after a while he set the book down and stared up at the ceiling. He seemed to be mouthing some words, but I couldn't make them out. And then I saw the other woman in the room. She was beautiful, and thin, and I didn't recognize her. She seemed to be listening to whatever Adam was saying and nodding her head in sympathy. And then, out of the blue, she crossed the room to the bed, and kissed Adam smack on the lips. I almost broke the connection, I was so shocked.

Adam looked stunned for a moment, and then he closed his eyes and kissed her back. I felt like someone was ripping my heart from my chest. And then he broke away, pushing her off him. He mouthed something that looked like my name. The girl laughed, and tried to straddle him. He resisted weakly, and pushed her gently off of the bed. She ran her fingers through his hair, and he pulled away, looking upset. She climbed in bed next to him, resting her head on his shoulder. He looked uncomfortable, but he allowed her to continue, nestled against him.

I broke the connection, feeling tears well up in my eyes. I covered myself with the cloak, and tried not to think of Adam.

Chapter Sixty Nine: Warnings

Medusa shook me awake the next morning, a look of concern on her face.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I said, rubbing my eyes.

"You were crying last night," she said, worried. "I heard you."

Sure enough, my eyes were puffy and there were tears still damp on my cheeks. I wiped them away, and tried to smile.

"Everything's okay," I said. "Let's head out. I think if we hurry, we can make it by sundown."

We set out at a brisk pace through the forest, cutting the underbrush out of the way. I slashed viciously at the branches as if they were the woman from the night before.

Medusa caught up with me and grabbed my arm.

"Hey," she said. "Something's wrong. What's going on?"

"Nothing," I said shortly. "I'm fine, I told you earlier."

"You were lying," she said. "Flynn told me. And it's obvious something it bothering you."

"I don't want to talk about it," I said curtly. "Just let it go, okay?"

"No," said Medusa firmly. "You need to talk about it. I can tell."

"What the fuck do you know?" I said angrily. "You don't know me."

"Yeah, I do," said Medusa, standing her ground. "You're gonna tell me what's going on or we're not leaving."

"Fine," I said, jerking my arm away. "You can stay here. Be my guest."

She caught up with me, grabbing my arm again. I felt a strong urge to slap her.

"Come on, Robin," she cajoled. "You're my friend, aren't you?"

"We are for now," I said. "Seriously, Medusa, let it go."

"I can't," she said. "I can tell you're really upset."

"Yeah, I'm upset you're not dropping it," I said coldly.

"I can tell you what's wrong," said Morgan in a sing song voice.

"Don't you dare," I said threateningly. "I'll hurt you."

"Not as much as Adam hurt you," she said, smiling sympathetically.

"What happened?" demanded Medusa, turning to Morgan.

"Should I tell?" asked Morgan.

"I hate you both," I said angrily.

Morgan laughed. "She was scrying Adam last night. But he was with another woman. She kissed him but he pushed her away."

"That scumbag!" cried Medusa. "We can give him the Agisalaos treatment if you want."

"That's a little extreme," I said. "I don't even know what happened. I don't have any context."

"You're such a good girlfriend," said Medusa dryly. "If it were me I'd have turned him to stone."

"Well, that's why it's not you," I said, rolling my eyes. Medusa looked hurt.

"What are you going to do to him?" asked Flynn.

"Nothing," I said. "I don't know if I'm going to ask him about it."

"Are you serious?" asked Medusa incredulously. "I'd chain him up and interrogate the hell out of him."

"It's none of your business," I said shortly.

"Don't you want to know who the woman was?" asked Flynn. "And like, why she was kissing him?"

"I don't care," I said. "I don't really want to know."

"I can find out for you," Morgan offered.

"No thanks," I said, throwing my hands up in frustration. "Seriously, do none of you understand the concept of privacy?"

Finally, we reached the kingdom. I felt like I was going to pass out from exhaustion and anger. The interrogation had not ceased until we were inside the castle gates.

"The first thing I'm going to eat," said Flynn dreamily. "Is the biggest chocolate cake you've ever seen. And then I'm going to drink an entire jug of milk. And then I'll wash it down with a huge steak, medium rare."

"That sounds gross," I told him. "You'll gain so much weight you'll look like a balloon."

"What's a balloon?" asked Morgan curiously.

"Did you grow up under a rock?" asked Medusa. "How do you not know what a balloon is?" Morgan looked hurt.

"It's like, a ball of air. And it floats," I told her, guiltily enjoying her embarrassment. I still had not forgiven her for revealing my secret.

"Thanks, Robin," she said, giving me a smile.

"We cordially request an audience with King Richard," I told the guards at the castle gate.

"Welcome back, Lady Robin," they said, bowing deeply and letting us through. When we got inside the castle, the king was waiting for us, along with the rest of our friends. Aurora ran up to hug me.

"I missed you so much!" she exclaimed. I smiled and hugged her in return.

"We should catch up soon," I told her. "But first I need to speak with the king."

"Of course," she said.

"What news do you bring?" asked King Richard. "Ursula has already told us of the prophecy. Congratulations on being the future Witch Queen."

"Thank you, your majesty," I said, bowing. "I bring news of the Tree of Life and Death. We traveled far east to find it, and I have slayed the basilisk who was poisoning the waters at its roots."

"You killed a basilisk?" exclaimed the king, impressed. "You will be knighted for this, Robin."

"I didn't know women could be knights," said Flynn. Medusa elbowed him in the ribs.

"However, we were too late to prevent the last leaf from falling from the tree," I said regretfully. "It looks like war will come to your kingdom."

"I am sorry to hear that," said the king. "I had hoped that you would arrive in time. Nevertheless, I am grateful for your tidings, for now we can be prepared."

"Do you know who or what our enemies are?" asked Adrian.

"I have no idea," I said honestly. "Only I know that witch hunters are scouring the kingdom, murdering my sisters."

"That will be stopped immediately," said Richard. "I have no power over what goes on in Arthur's kingdom, but in mine there shall be no witchhunting."

"Thank you," I said gratefully.

"It is I who should be thanking you," said the king. "Please, someone take these weary travellers to their rooms."

Ursula walked with me to my room.

"Arthur is dead, you know," she told me by way of greeting.

"Really?" I said. "Good."

She shrugged. "It means Rapunzel is queen now."

"That's good, right? She should be more reasonable than her father."

"Who knows? Better the evil you know than the one you don't, right?"

"Why would you say that about Rapunzel?" I asked curiously.

"It's nothing," said Ursula with a wave of her hand. "It's just, I'm not sure she's the woman I thought she was."

"What happened?" I asked.

"I don't know," she said slowly. "She's just giving me strange vibes. I could be wrong. She hasn't done anything yet. I don't even think she's had her coronation yet."

"Well, we can worry about it later then," I said bracingly. "If you'll excuse me now, I'd like to sleep."

Chapter Seventy: Interrogation

I didn't see Adam until the next morning, when he crept into bed next to me. I opened my eyes groggily, and there he was, all smiles and floppy brown hair. I couldn't help but laugh and kiss him.

"How was your trip?" he asked.

"It was fine," I said. "Where were you yesterday?"

"I was in the hall," he said. "I'm sorry I didn't come up and say hello. You seemed busy and tired."

"I was."

"How about now though?" he asked, pulling me into his arms. "Do you have a little free time?"

"Not really," I said, nuzzling his neck. "I have to speak with the king about preparing defenses and so on. There's going to be a war."

"That's exciting, right?" he said. "I can join the army now."

"Do you have to?" I asked, frowning.

"Yes, I do," he said. "It's my duty as a man. I can't stay here and wait while you have all the fun."

"I wouldn't call it fun," I said. "I mean, I fought a basilisk and almost died, so."

"The key word there is almost," he said, tickling me. I smiled in spite of myself.

We went our separate ways after a quick breakfast. I decided to go find Flynn after some debate with myself.

"Flynn?" I asked, knocking on his door. I was not particularly surprised to find him in bed with Medusa, their hands intertwined.

"Hello," he said sleepily. "What's up?"

"Not you, apparently," I said, pulling the drapes open.

"Must you ruin everything?" said Medusa, burying her head under a pillow.

"I need your help," I said, ignoring her. "I decided I want to know what Adam was up to."

"Oh, now things get juicy," said Medusa, delighted.

"Sure," said Flynn. "Are you sure you want to know though? You seemed pretty adamant about it yesterday."

"I changed my mind," I said.

"Alright," said Flynn. "What do you want me to do? I have to be able to hear him. Seeing might be nice too, but not completely necessary."

"You could hide in my cabinet," I suggested. "And I'll ask him questions."

"Sketchy," said Flynn enthusiastically. "I like it."

And so Flynn followed me to my room and hid in the cabinet. I told a servant to find Adam and bring him to me. And I sat on the bed, waiting.

"Hey," said Adam. "What's up?"

"Um, I was hoping I could talk to you about something," I said hesitantly.

"Sure," he said, sitting down next to me. "What's up?" 

"Well, the other day, I was scrying you," I said. "And I saw that you had someone in your room. And you guys sort of made out."

"Oh," he said, frowning. "That was Miranda. She's a friend of mine from before I was cursed. We were really close as children, and then we sort of grew apart. She was in the kingdom to visit family, and so she decided to find me."

"So what was up with the kiss?" I asked.

He shrugged. "She said she wanted to see what it was like, if we had any chemistry. She said it was one of those things that always bothered her. A what if sort of thing. She said I was the one that got away, whatever that means. Anyway, I pushed her away, and she stayed for a while. I told her I'm in love with you, and she was fine with us just being friends."

"Okay," I said uncertainly. "I guess that's fine."

"Yeah," he said regretfully. "I'm sorry you had to see that. She's a nice person, really. And I think you'd be friends if you got to know her."

"I think I'll pass on that one, funny enough," I said. "Well, that's it, really. Thanks for your time."

"No problem," he said. He shot me a winning smile and left.

"So?" I asked Flynn after he was out of earshot. Flynn tumbled out of the cabinet, coughing and brushing mothballs out of his hair.

"Bad news," he said, when he'd caught his breath.

"Oh no," I said, my heart sinking.

"Yeah," he said, shrugging. "Basically everything he said was a lie."

"Everything?" I asked, incredulous.

"Yeah," said Flynn. "Well, not everything. He really does love you. He'd die for you, probably."

I sat on the bed, my head between my hands.

"I don't want him to die for me," I said. "I just want him to tell me the truth."

Flynn shrugged. "Sometimes the truth is complicated. Maybe he just wanted to protect you."

"I don't care," I said stubbornly. "He shouldn't have lied to me. What am I supposed to do now? If I ask him about it he'll know I had you listen in."

"Well, I dunno," said Flynn, sitting down beside me. "It's up to you and whether you really trust him or not."

"When did you get so good at relationships?" I teased.

"Medusa's been teaching me a few things," said Flynn modestly.

"Yeah? How's that going?"

"It's okay, I guess," he said shyly. "I like her a lot, and I think she likes me too."

"Yeah, that's usually the case when people sleep together."

"Hey, said Flynn suddenly. "I have an idea."

"What's that?"

"Well, Adam wasn't the only one who was in the room that night, was he?"

Chapter Seventy One: Miranda

"I don't think he was lying about the name," said Flynn.

"You, my friend, are a genius," I told him. "Now we just go around looking for a girl named Miranda?"

"I guess so," he said, thinking. "Does she have any other distinctive characteristics?"

"Yeah," I said, remembering. "She was blonde, and she had really huge boobs."

"Really?" he said, looking interested.

"Yes, but you are in love with Medusa, remember?" I said pointedly.

"I'm not in love," muttered Flynn. "Not with her attitude about love anyway."

"You could change her mind," I told him absentmindedly. "I'm sure she likes you a lot."

"Could you talk to her for me?" asked Flynn hopefully.

"Sure," I said. "What do you want me to say?"

"I don't know," said Flynn, looking flustered. "Just, good things about me, okay? I mean, you're her friend, you know her better."

"Okay," I said. "But only if you help me find Miranda."

"Why don't you asked Cinderella?" he asked. "Maybe she knows something. Or Snow."

"Okay, but you have to bring her to me."

"Me?" he said, unhappily. "Why do I have to do everything?"

"Because she won't come if I ask her," I said patiently. "Besides, don't you want me to say nice things about you to Medusa?"

"Oh, fine," he said in surrender. "I'll see what I can do. No promises though."

"I know you won't fail me," I said, grinning.

I had wanted to meet with the king to go over strategies and intelligence, but he turned out to be busy. So, left to my own devices, I sat in my room, a mirror by my side, trying to scry the various people I'd met on my journeys.

First was Rapunzel, who was now queen in her own kingdom. She sat on her throne, a thin golden crown upon her brow, looking bored. Some advisors were with her, asking her questions, and she seemed to respond listlessly.

Next was Arya, the Snow Queen. She too sat on her throne of silver and pearl, talking animatedly with her handmaidens. Her lips and cheeks were bright red, but her hair was long and pale.

I looked for Hook, and sure enough, he was sailing his ship, his brother Philip at his side. The two conversed happily, and I could feel the warm brotherly love between them. I wished I could speak with them and let them know how glad I was that they'd found each other.

Peter was standing in the middle of a group of lost boys, holding court like the king he was. He looked older now, his hair dusted with gray, and his face more wan, more wise. He spoke encouragingly to his little posse, and it seemed that he had grown more mature as well.

I found Cersei sitting alone by the pond, a wistful look on her face. I had never asked her if she had any friends, any lovers. She was alone but did not look lonely. I guessed she was one of those self sufficient people who could make it on her own. I hoped I would see her again at the next coven.

Katrina sat at a desk, writing a letter to someone or other. She replaced her pen in the inkwell, threw sand on the gleaming black letters, and blew the grains across the page. She tied the letter with a piece of ribbon, and fastened it to the foot of a large black raven. She stood, walked over to the window, and released the raven to the winds.

And finally Ceridwen sat alone in her cottage, weaving at her loom, her foot clicking rhythmically as she tossed the shuttle back and forth. She appeared to be singing as she worked, and her beautiful red hair gleamed in the firelight.

I sat back and closed my eyes, nursing a slight migraine from focusing so hard. It bothered me more that Adam had lied to me than that he had kissed another woman, but if Flynn was good for anything we'd get to the bottom of all this soon enough.

There was a knock on my door, and Flynn walked in, looking victorious.

"What's up with you?" I asked hopefully.

"I've found her," he said proudly. "Robin, meet Miranda."

Miranda was taller than me by a few inches, with long blonde hair and a curvaceous figure. She smiled at me and shook my hand warmly.

"Hello, Robin," she said kindly. "I've heard so much about you."

"I haven't heard much about you," I said suspiciously. "Where are you from and what are you doing here?"

She laughed. "Oh, you don't need to worry about me stealing your fiancé," she said. "If I wanted to, he'd be mine, but I respect the sanctity of marriage."

"I doubt it," I said.

"Really?" she said, looking me up and down. "You're pretty, but men want more than skin and bones. I've got the stuff they like."

"He's in love with me," I said hotly. "I'd like to see you try."

"Calm down, witchy," she said, laughing. "I'm not here to fight with you. Well, yet, anyway."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" I demanded.

"That gets to answering your questions," she said. "You see, I'm the daughter of Matthew Hopkins, the Witch Hunter General."

"What?" I exclaimed. "You're a witch hunter?"

"I am not," she said, rolling her eyes. "I'm his daughter. I just told you."

"What are you here for then?" I said hostilely.

"To warn you," she said patiently. "I'm not on good terms with my father, nor do I agree with his work. I came to tell Adam and you about his crusade. He wants to wipe witches off the face of this kingdom."

"Yeah, well, good luck with that," I said sarcastically. "Who is he to bring war against the witches?"

Miranda frowned. "You should be worried. He's the reason there are only thirteen witches left. If you don't be careful, you could be next."

"Is that a threat?" I asked.

"No, it's a warning," she said. "I'm on your side. I have nothing against witches myself. But you cannot win against my father."

"Why's that?" I asked. 

"Because he's a powerful sorcerer himself."

Chapter Seventy Two: The Witch Hunter's Daughter

"I don't understand," I said, frowning. "Why would he want to capture witches if he's one himself?"

Miranda shrugged. "You can take it up with him if you want, but I doubt you'd come out of that conversation with the upper hand, or alive for that matter."

"What sort of powers does he have?" I asked.

"Well, he can detect witches and magic, for one," she said. "So I wouldn't recommend using any around him. And he can tell when people are lying to him."

"Really? Like Flynn?" I said.

"Yeah," said Miranda. "It's a common skill among witches. You could probably develop it if you wanted."

"How would I go about doing that?" I asked.

She shrugged. "You could ask Flynn. I don't have too many powers myself."

"What can you do? You must have inherited something."

"I can move things with my mind," she said, waving her hand casually. "And sometimes I can walk through walls and hear thoughts."

"That's pretty cool," I said.

"It's a little hard to control, especially when I'm emotional," she said.

"Still, it's more than most people can do," I said.

"Whatever," she said. "The point is, you're in danger, Medusa and Ursula are in danger, Flynn is in danger. Everyone here who has ever used or benefited from magic is in danger, and that includes Adam."

"How do you know Adam anyway?" I asked.

"I don't, really," she said, shrugging. "Our parents were friends when we were younger, and we had friend groups that occasionally overlapped. I was coming to speak with you, actually. But you weren't here."

"Well, you could've asked for me, instead of, you know, kissing my fiancé," I said heatedly.

"Well, I couldn't resist," she said, laughing. "He's a very handsome man. And not a bad kisser either."

"I'm glad you enjoyed it," I grumbled.

She smiled at me. "You have a good man. Take care of him."

"I will," I said, frowning. "Still, I don't understand. Why did he lie to me about who you were?"

She shrugged. "Maybe he didn't want you to worry."

"As if," I snorted. "I've got enough on my plate without having to deal with lying, cheating fiancés."

"Do you really feel like he cheated on you?" asked Miranda curiously.

"I don't know," I said shortly. "You're the one who kissed him."

"I know," she said unabashedly. "And I feel bad about it. You shouldn't blame him."

"Well, maybe not for the kiss, but I can blame him for lying to me."

"He just wants to protect you," said Miranda. "You can't blame him for that."

"He should let me take care of myself," I said. "I've done pretty well so far."

She shrugged. "I guess that's something you'll have to take up with him."

"Oh, I will," I reassured her.

"Do you have a plan on how to handle my father?" she asked.

I shook my head. "I guess I just won't do any magic around him."

"It doesn't matter," she said. "He can sense whether you're a witch anyway. You might as well use your powers to protect yourself."

"Is there anything I can do to keep him from finding me?" I asked.

"No," she said regretfully. "And he kills every witch he finds."

"How does he do that?" I asked.

"He burns them," she replied. "It's gruesome but it works. I think once he stoned a witch to death. That was hard to watch."

"Good grief," I said, stunned. "Why does he hate magic so much?"

Miranda shrugged. "I have no idea. I think he hats the part of him that's magic. He never uses his powers if he can help it. And he tells me not to use mine either. That's why I don't have much experience in controlling them."

"I guess people are afraid of the things they don't understand," I said thoughtfully.

"Sure," said Miranda. "But don't go waning philosophical about it. You've still got a plan to make, remember?"

"Yeah," I said, frowning. "I don't know how to deal with this. I need to talk it over with Medusa and Ursula."

She nodded. "They're powerful witches. You are lucky to have them as friends."

"I know," I said. "Have you met them yet?"

She shook her head. "I would be honored to, if you could introduce me."

"Let's go do that right now."

We found Medusa and Ursula in their room, playing checkers and talking animatedly about witchcraft.

"Can we join you guys?" I said, poking my head into their room.

"Sure," said Medusa. "I've just about finished demolishing Ursula anyway."

"That's not true," argued Ursula. "I would have had you in a few moves."

Medusa rolled her eyes and turned to me. "How can we help you?"

"You!" exclaimed Ursula, looking at Miranda. "What are you doing here?"

"Relax," I said. "She's on our side."

"Bull shit," said Ursula. "That's the Witch Hunter General's daughter."

"I'm not here to fight," said Miranda calmly.

"You've got a hell of a lot of nerve, coming here," said Ursula angrily.

"Calm down," I said. "We've got plans to make and we can't do that if we're arguing."

Chapter Seventy Three: Plans

"So," I said. "What's the plan?"

"I have no idea," said Ursula. "What did you think? That I'd just have all the answers?"

"No," I said. "I just thought we would talk about it. Besides, you usually have answers for most things."

"I do not," said Ursula. "But we can talk, sure. Not that I have any ideas."

"Well, for starters," I said. "When is he coming? And who does he have on his side?"

"He's amassed a small army so far," said Miranda. "It's full of peasants and mercenaries. You know, ignorant people who have no idea what magic is. They are poor and never really learned to think for themselves."

"Is that good or bad?" I asked, uncertain.

"Both," said Miranda. "Bad because they will listen to anything my father says. Good because, well, I guess it's not good."

I snorted. "Thanks for the optimism."

"We have to be realistic," she said, shrugging.

"Well, it's pretty clear what our first item of business is," said Ursula.

"It is?" I asked stupidly.

"Of course," she said, exasperated. "We have to warn the other witches. Once the thirteen know, Katrina can call another coven and we can work out a plan to sort it out together."

"That's a brilliant idea," said Miranda sarcastically. "Let's gather all the witches in one place so the witch hunter knows exactly where to find all of them."

"Well, fine then," said Ursula. "What's your idea?"

"No more covens, for one thing," said Miranda. "That's far too dangerous. Can you use mirrors or ravens or something?"

"Sure," said Ursula.

"Another thing," said Medusa. "We need to figure out where he is and where he's coming from. We need eyes out in the countryside. We should contact the tree and water nymphs." 

"Nymphs?" I echoed skeptically. "I thought they were a myth."

Medusa laughed. "After everything you've seen you think nymphs are a myth?"

"I've never heard of them, that's all."

"Well, they are basically nature spirits. They live in the rivers and trees and so on."

"That's kind of cool," I said.

"Yeah," she said. "Usually they aren't interested in the affairs of men, but I think in this case we can convince them to step out of their neutrality."

"That's good news," I said.

"The next item of business," said Medusa. "Is to come up with some sort of offensive. The best defense is a good offense, I think."

"I thought that was a sports thing," I said.

Medusa shrugged. "Whatever. We need to find the witch hunter and kill him."

Miranda flinched.

"Oh, sorry," said Medusa. "Should we not rid ourselves of the man who's trying to systematically eradicate our kind?"

"No," said Miranda. "It's just that, in spite of everything, he's still my father. He was the one who taught me how to read and all that."

"Do you think talking to him about it might help?" I asked.

She shook her head. "This is his life's work. There's nothing he loves more than hunting witches. He would kill me to get to them."

"That's awful," I said sympathetically.

She shrugged. "It is what it is. I've lived with it my entire life."

"You deserve better," I said.

"Maybe," she said. "But that's what it is."

"So what's the offensive?" asked Medusa.

"I thought you had an idea," I said.

"Can't we just get you to look him in the eye or something?" asked Ursula. "That'll turn him into stone. Problem solved."

"I'm okay with that," said Medusa.

Miranda shook her head. "That's impossible. He knows who you are and what your powers are. He'll be ready for sure."

"What is he gonna do about it?"

"Oh, I don't know, wear something to cover his eyes, shoot her, that sort of thing," said Miranda.

"Okay, new plan," I said exasperated. "Does he have any weaknesses?"

"Not that I know of," said Miranda. "He's the fiercest man I've ever known."

"Can you tell us more about him?" asked Ursula.

"Sure," said Miranda. "He wasn't really around much when I was younger. He left when I was four to work for King Arthur, rounding up witches and so on. When I was seven, he left to the distant eastern lands to learn more about witchcraft and how to combat it. When he came back he was more vicious and ruthless than ever. He killed over five hundred witches one year. I still remember him coming home one evening, his hands covered with blood."

"Wow," I said. "This guy definitely sounds like bad news."

Miranda nodded. "It's hard to believe that I'm related to him sometime."

"We won't hold it against you," I assured her.

"Thanks," she said gratefully.

"Well, it's getting late," said Medusa. "What do you say we call it a night and sleep on it?"

"Sure," I said, yawning. "We'll meet here tomorrow then?"

"Sounds like a plan," agreed Miranda.

That night I dreamt of bloody hands and fires.

Chapter Seventy Four: Offense

We met the next morning in the garden. Ursula brought a checkered blanket, and we sat, the four of us, under the pretense of having some bizarre picnic.

"Any new ideas?" asked Ursula as we convened.

"Not really," I admitted, yawning widely.

"I've been thinking," said Miranda slowly. "What if we set a trap? And ambushed him when he wasn't expecting it?"

"An ambush?" said Medusa in interest. "Do tell."

"Yeah," said Miranda. "I was thinking, what if I went to my father and told him that there was going to be a coven? He could come and expect to find you, only it would be an ambush."

"Wouldn't he bring a lot of his soldier and stuff?" I asked skeptically.

"Maybe," said Miranda. "But not if I told him it was in a secret location and only he could come."

"That sounds risky," I said. "What if he captures us?"

Miranda shrugged. "Anything we do is going to have a risk factor involved."

"Here's a question," said Medusa, frowning. "How do we know you're actually on our side? How do we know you're not actually working for your father?"

"You don't," said Miranda. "Although I guess you can ask Flynn if I'm lying."

"Put that on the to do list, then," said Medusa.

"It's a good idea," I said. "But where would we do it?"

"There are some caves in the forest," said Ursula. "It's a treacherous landscape, so it would be difficult for him to get his soldiers down there quickly. There is a waterfall, and behind the waterfall there are a series of tunnels that lead into the mountain. It would be easy to escape, but also easy to ambush."

"That sounds like a solid plan," I said. "Who's in?"

"I am," said Ursula.

"Me too," said Medusa. Miranda smiled.

"When can we start?" I asked. "We need some sort of time frame as to when your dad is coming to town."

"Sure," said Miranda. "I'll get back to you on that one."

"It doesn't matter," said Medusa. "The coven only gathers under the light of the full moon, remember?"

"That's only three days from now," I said. "Are we ready? Is he coming?"

"The last time I checked he was a few days away," said Miranda. "And this was a little less than a week ago."

"Looks like we're in luck," I said.

"Well, how are we supposed to hunt the witch hunter?" asked Medusa.

"I guess we could corner him, throw a net over him?" I asked.

"That's the dumbest idea ever," said Medusa, rolling her eyes.

"We could block the entrances," said Ursula. "That wouldn't be too difficult. All we'd have to do is set off a series of controlled explosions."

"Sounds dangerous," I said.

"My kind of plan," said Medusa, grinning.

"How are we supposed to do that?" I asked. "I don't have any explosives."

Ursula rolled her eyes. "Are you a witch or not?"

"Oh, fine," I said. "I'll have to practice, though."

"You can put that on your list of skills to acquire," said Ursula. "Along with learning how to detect lying and healing."

"Healing?" I echoed skeptically. "Why would I need that?"

"Oh, I don't know," said Ursula sarcastically. "It's not as if you've ever had any life threatening injuries, nor do you tend to get into situations where life threatening injuries are likely."

"Alright, alright," I said, laughing. "I'll work on it. Are you going to teach me?"

She shook her head. "I would recommend asking Morgan about it. She is the one who brought you from the brink of death, isn't she?"

"Sure," I said. "Why isn't she plotting with the rest of us?"

Medusa snickered. "I don't know if you've noticed, but she's kind of…different."

"Ditzy, is the word I'd use," said Ursula. I snorted.

"Still, she's a witch, shouldn't she hear this?" I asked.

Ursula shrugged. "You're welcome to tell her about it later, but be warned. She might go around singing about it at the top of her lungs."

"I don't think she's that dumb."

"Damn useful witch though, if you ask me," said Medusa thoughtfully. "I really thought we lost you for a moment there."

"Yeah, I owe her a lot," I said. "I guess I'll go talk to her then."

"What do we do after we've trapped him, then?" asked Medusa.

"Set him on fire?" suggested Ursula hopefully.

"Ursula!" I scolded. "That's awful."

"He'd do the same to you," Ursula said defensively. "And he's done it to plenty of our sisters too."

"Yeah, but still," I said. "Let's try to retain some shreds of our humanity here."

"Okay, fine," said Ursula. "We'll just have a nice chat and send him on his way. You know, to continue his hunting."

"No, that's not it either," I said, frowning.

"Well, make up your mind, your highness," said Ursula, irritated. "Which is it? Him or us?"

"Him," I said decisively. "Most definitely him."

Chapter Seventy Five: Lessons

I found Morgan lying in bed, singing softly to a small mouse that was running back and forth across her fingers.

"Um, hi?" I asked. "Are you busy?"

She shook her head. "What's up, Rowan?"

"My name's Robin," I said pointedly. "And I was wondering if you could help me with something."

"Sad," she said dreamily. "I liked Rowan. Sure, what do you need?"

"I was wondering if you could teach me how to heal," I said. "I really appreciate what you did for me back in the forest, and I was hoping you could show me, so I could do the same for someone else if the time ever came."

"I hope not," she said. "It's wearisome magic."

"Yeah, you looked pretty worn out," I said.

She sighed and let the mouse scurry away. "It's old magic, you know. Not the sort you've been doing so far, the wordless type with the push. This involves drawing energy straight out of the core of your being. You have to sing it into existence. Do you sing?"

"Um, not much," I said. "I can learn though."

"Sure," she said with a smile. "Can you repeat after me?"

She hummed a soft melody, and I did my best to follow her tune.

"Very nice!" she exclaimed. "You have a gentle voice. I like that."

"Thanks," I said uncertainly.

She sang another wordless song, and I repeated it back to her.

"You're doing well," she said happily. "You're a good student."

"How do the spells work?" I asked.

"Well, you have to sing them in the ancient language, which you know, right?"

"I don't know any other languages," I said, disappointed.

"Don't worry," said Morgan amiably. "Every witch knows the ancient language."

"I do?" I asked.

"Sure," said Morgan. She closed her eyes and began to sing in a foreign language, full of long, beautiful vowels and soft consonants. And then, suddenly, it wasn't foreign at all. I could understand the words, even though I couldn't have offered a translation if asked. She sang of youth and young love and eternity, a sad song that was full of joy and victory at the same time.

"Hey," I said. "I understood that."

"Of course you did," she said proudly. "You're a witch. Now try singing something yourself."

"I have no idea –" I began, but she shushed me and told me to just start singing.

And so I closed my eyes and began to hum a tuneless song, but then suddenly I felt my tongue beginning to form words, ancient words, that had been sung by someone long ago. I sang of heartbreak and betrayal and loss and of watching the one you love far away. I sang of goodbyes and new beginnings. I sang of hope.

"That was beautiful," said Morgan happily. "You're a natural talent. Of course you are, you're going to be the new queen."

"Not yet I'm not," I said. "But thanks so much. How do I heal something?"

Morgan took out a knife from her dress.

"Wait, don't do that-" I started. But she'd already drawn it across her palm. She smiled dreamily and extended her hand.

"Go on," she said without flinching. "Try it."

"Okay," I said nervously. I held her hand gingerly in mine, and closed my eyes. I started to sing of smooth skin and soft hands, of unbroken flesh and slender fingers. When I opened my eyes, the blood had vanished, and her hand was whole again.

"That was fantastic," she said enthusiastically. "Just practice on your own, and everything will be fine."

"Thank you so much!" I exclaimed. I left feeling happy and energized.

I found Flynn next, and he was doing pushups in his room.

"Bulking up for Medusa, I see," I teased.

"I am not," he argued. "I like to stay in shape, is all."

"Sure," I said with a wink. "But I need your help, if you're not too busy."

"Yeah," he said. "Anything. What's up?"

"I was wondering if you could teach me how to tell truth from lies."

"Oh, sure," he said, looking surprised. "It's not hard at all. I thought you knew how to do it already." 

"Of course I don't know how to do it," I said impatiently. "Why else would I ask you to hide in my closet and eavesdrop?"

"That's true," he conceded. "Well, here's what you can do. All you have to do is listen for it. The truth is in the voice. If people are lying, you can hear it in the way their voice wobbles."

"Really? Wobbles?" I said skeptically.

"Yeah," he said. "Like, for instance." He cleared his throat and announced, "I am not attracted to Medusa at all."

"I did not hear anything," I said, cocking my head to one side.

"Try closing your eyes," he suggested. "And listen for the truth in the spaces between the words. You'll understand when you hear it."

"Sure," I said doubtfully.

"I don't enjoy hanging out with you and your friends," he said. "I find you boring and unappealing."

"I think I heard it!" I said excitedly. "You're right, it is between the words. I don't know how to explain it."

He laughed. "I told you, I knew you'd be a quick learner."

"Thanks, can you tell me a truth so I can see what that sounds like?"

"These past few days," he said seriously. "Have been the best of my life."

"That was true," I said, with a smile. "And it's true for me too."

Chapter Seventy Six: Preparations

"Alright ladies," announced Ursula, marching into my room and throwing open the curtains. "Time to get down to business."

"Ugh," I groaned, burying my face in the pillows. "Why can't you let me sleep in?"

"The sun's already been up for an hour," she said with disdain. "Didn't you get enough sleep?"

"I haven't gotten enough sleep for months," I said, my voice muffled.

"Another day won't hurt then," she said cheerily, pulling my covers away. I shuddered and reached for my kirtle and boots.

"What are we doing?" I asked sleepily.

"Well, we're going to scout out the caves behind the waterfall," she said, watching me dress. "And you're going to practice blowing stuff up."

"I am?" I asked. "Why can't you do it?"

She shrugged. "You're the next witch queen, not me."

"What are you going to be doing?"

"I'll be making sure the Witch Hunter General comes alone," she said.

"And the rest of the girls?" I asked.

"They'll be there for backup," she told me. "But you should be prepared to do most of the stuff yourself."

"Isn't that typical," I grumbled. I followed Ursula out of the castle and into the woods, where the sun did not penetrate the dense, verdant trees.

"This place is creepy as hell," I said, shivering as I brushed a spider off my shoulder.

"A perfect place for a coven, no?" said Ursula.

"If you say so," I said.

We found our way to a small stream, which we followed to its source, a tall waterfall that hung like a silver ribbon down some intimidatingly steep cliffs.

"We're climbing that?" I said skeptically.

"Sort of," she said. "We're going to go around the waterfall. The caves are behind it."

I followed her along the side of the river to where the water crashed down from above. I cast a small spell that kept water off us, and we made our way carefully over some wet stepping stones to the other side, where we climbed over some rocks and slipped behind the water. It hung like a shimmering sheet of glass before us, giving the cave an eerie blue glow.

"Wow, it's beautiful," I said, impressed.

"You haven't seen anything yet," she said, laughing.

We made our way through the damp tunnels, being careful not to slip. The tunnel narrowed until we had to crawl on our hands and knees, the ground hard and cold beneath us.

"I guess only one person can get in at a time," I said, knocking my head painfully on a jutting stone.

"Yeah," Ursula called. "It would be difficult to bring an army back here."

Finally the tunnel widened again, and we stood. I gasped. The tunnel opened into a sort of atrium, full of stalactites and stalagmites. Crystals gleamed from crevices, casting beautiful rainbows across the cave. In the center of the room was a sort of stone dais, where Medusa, Morgan and Miranda sat waiting for us.

"It's about time," Medusa said. "We thought you'd never make it."

"Well, here I am," I said. "I even skipped breakfast to come."

"Toast?" said Morgan through a mouthful of bread. She offered me a stack, freshly buttered and still warm.

"Thanks," I said gratefully. "When did you guys get here?"

"About ten minutes before you did," said Miranda. "We're glad you came. Now it's time to get to work."

"Sure," I said, finishing the last of the toast. "What can I do?"

"You can practice blowing up those," said Medusa, pointing to a large pile of rocks. "Keep in mind that you want explosions that will cause a bit of a cave in. We want him trapped in here as best we can."

"Sure," I said. "I'll get right to it. What are you guys going to work on?"

"We're going to go explore the rest of the tunnels," said Ursula. "Medusa is going to draft and send a letter to Katrina. After this, we need to call a real coven, full moon or no."

"Is she going to be happy about that?" I asked.

"It doesn't matter," said Medusa. "The kingdom is in crisis. Witches are being burned left and right. We need to gather and make a strategy. We need to fight back."

I nodded. "Sounds good."

I sat on the dais, my bare feet dangling off the edge. I stared at the pile of stones and imagined them exploding, collapsing, blown to pieces. One rock fell of the top and rolled to my feet, and I sighed.

"Not going too well?" asked Morgan sympathetically.

"Yeah," I said. "I don't know how to blow things up."

"Well, explosions are basically rapid expansions of heat," she said. "You could try imagining a fire at their center, and then going from there."

I focused on one rock at the top of the pile, imagining a flame burning its way through its core. To my surprise, it gave a loud pop and crumbled into pieces.

"That's a start!" said Morgan enthusiastically. "You'll get it eventually, you'll see!"

"Thanks," I said appreciatively. "I owe you one."

Morgan laughed. "You don't owe me anything. You're the Witch Queen. I owe you my allegiance."

"That's not true," I said, pulling her to her feet. "You're my friend first of all. That's the way it's going to be. Always."

"Always," she answered with a smile. "Now let's blow up some more rocks."

I laughed. There was a loud boom and we turned in surprise. Behind us, the entire pile had somehow been reduced to dust.

"Witch Hunter General, I think we're ready," I said, feeling brave.

Chapter Seventy Seven: The Witch Hunter General

I sat alone on my balcony, watching the full moon float in a starry sky. Wispy clouds drifted across it, making its brightness appear blurry.

"Are you ready?" asked Ursula from behind me. 

"I guess so," I said. "I figured out how to blow up the rocks."

"Good," said Ursula. "I knew you could do it."

"There are four entrances, right?"

"Yes, and you need to take out three of them."

"I think I can handle that," I said. "When do we leave?"

"You need to be in the cave by eleven," she said. "Miranda told her father to meet her at the waterfall at midnight. They should get there in twenty minutes at most."

"What am I supposed to do for an hour?" I asked.

She shrugged. "Whatever floats your boat. Just make sure you don't make a lot of noise."

"I can manage that, I guess," I said. "What time is it?"

She looked at her watch. "Almost ten forty five. You should head over now."

"Are you going to come with me?" I asked.

"Yes," she said. "I'll walk with you until the forest, but then you have to go the rest alone."

"What will you do?" I asked.

"I'll be in the trees, watching for his soldiers," she said.

"In the trees?" I echoed skeptically. "How are you going to do that?"

"Very carefully," she said with a smile.

We walked through the cool autumn air. I admired the brightness of the leaves, even in the darkness. All around us, crickets and cicadas sang of summer's end. I felt calm, dreamy even.

"Is everything okay with you and Adam?" asked Ursula.

"Yeah," I said shortly.

She smiled at me. "If you ever need anyone to talk," she began.

"I can come to you?"

"You can go find Morgan," she said. I rolled my eyes.

"Well, here's where I leave you," she said, giving me a quick hug. "If everything goes well, we come out of this with the Witch Hunter General's head on a platter."

"Not tonight, surely?" I asked.

"Metaphorically speaking," she amended. "Anyway, I think we have a pretty solid plan. Just focus on getting those three corridors to cave in."

"Will do," I promised. "I'll see you soon."

And I set off alone towards the waterfall. By the time I reached the silvery water's edge, I could hear the clock striking eleven in the distance. I made my way carefully inside, and crawled without incident into the atrium.

Inside, Miranda and Medusa were waiting for me.

"Where's Morgan?" I asked.

Medusa shrugged. "Who knows? Maybe she's outside. Maybe she's asleep."

"I'm right here," Morgan called from one of the tunnels. She jumped gracefully to the floor of the atrium.

"How are you guys doing?" I asked.

"We're fine," said Miranda. "Are you ready to blow up some rocks?"

"Sure," I said. "Are you ready to betray your father?"

Miranda scowled. "I wouldn't put it like that."

"Well, how would you put it then?" I asked.

She shrugged. "I know where my loyalties lie, and it's not with blood."

"Good for you," I said. "I know I don't want the death of witches on my conscience."

"Me neither," she said.

We waited for a while, not saying anything, each of us feeling the weight of the future on our shoulders. Finally, we heard the distant chime of the clock striking twelve.

"It's time," I said.

There were sounds coming from the waterfall. It sounded like two people were making their way into the cave. And, sure enough, Ursula emerged first, and then the man who must have been the Witch Hunter General.

"Hello ladies," called Ursula, sweeping the dust off her skirts. "This is Matthew Hopkins, the Witch Hunter General.

To my surprise, Matthew bowed deeply at the four of us. He wore a black shirt, with black trousers, complete with a black cape and fedora. His hair was a salt and pepper grey, and he had sharp, narrow eyes and a severe mouth. His forearms were bare, and they were covered in black tattoos of various symbols and insignias.

"Greetings," he said politely. "I am Matthew Hopkins. May I have the pleasure of learning your names?"

I was stunned. I looked at Ursula, and she shrugged.

"My name is Robin," I said. "And these are my friends Medusa and Morgan. And your daughter, Miranda."

He nodded at each of us. "Well met, Robin, Medusa, and Morgan. How are you, daughter?"

"I'm well, father," said Miranda meekly. I looked at her in alarm.

Matthew clapped his hands abruptly. "By all means," he said with a sweeping gesture. "Don't let me interrupt your coven. I am but a humble guest."

"Um," I said hesitantly. "We were just finishing up, weren't we ladies?"

"That's right," said Medusa with a frown. "We're basically done here."

"Wonderful," said Matthew, smiling. "I don't suppose you could each of you tell me a little something about yourself?"

"Sure," I said. "I'm a baker's daughter, and I just got engaged."

"Lovely," he said kindly. "And I heard that it was you who is to be the next Witch Queen?"

"That's right," I said.

"I turn people into stone by looking at them," said Medusa.

"I like candied apples," said Morgan dreamily. We stared at her.

"Well, that's fantastic," said Matthew with a smile. He clasped his hands behind his back and began to take wide strides around the atrium, his black boots clicking against the ground.

"Now," he began, gazing absently at the ceiling. "I would like nothing better than to be friends with you all, but it just so happens that, as you know, I am the Witch Hunter General."

"I knew there was a but," I muttered.

"Indeed," he said, nodding solemnly. "It seems that we are destined to be enemies, Queen Robin Baker."

"So be it," I said, sounding braver than I felt.

He nodded again, his eyes wide. "You see, Robin, I am not here for your silly little coven. The rest of you witches can burn or dance around eating candied apples, for all I care." 

"Then why are you here?" I asked hostilely.

"Isn't it obvious?" he said with a cold chuckle. "I'm here, for _you_."

Chapter Seventy Eight: Confrontation

"Me?" I asked in disbelief. "What would you want with me?"

"You don't know?" he sneered coldly, his friendly demeanor gone. "You're the next Witch Queen. Your power is linked to the life force of witches across the land. All I have to do is kill you, and the other witches will be weakened or killed."

"You lie," I said angrily. "Without me there would just be a new witch queen."

"Perhaps," he said with a shrug. "But more likely the witches would go to ruin."

"Why not go for Katrina then?" I asked. "She's the Witch Queen now."

"Katrina," he scoffed. "Her power weakens by the day. She'll be dead any month now, leaving you."

"That's not true," I said hotly. "I just saw her a few weeks ago."

"You'll see the next time you meet her," he said. "Her hair turns white, her fingers shrivel, her spine withers. That old hag means nothing to me."

I didn't know what to say, so I remained silent.

"It's possible, though," he said slowly. "That we could find ourselves as allies. You could strike up a deal with me, and I could be convinced to spare your life."

"Don't waste my time," I snapped. "I'll make no deals with someone who murders my sisters."

"Hear me out, at least," he said smoothly. "I'm offering you a bargain, and quite a sweet one it is too. For starters, I will spare your life. In return, you give me your powers."

"My powers?" I said. "How on earth am I supposed to give you my powers?"

He laughed mirthlessly at me. "Truly, for one so great, you are certainly ignorant of the ways of magic. There are means, dark means, by which you could transfer your powers to me."

"That's easy," I said resolutely. "No." 

"Why not?" he asked innocently. "What use have you for your powers? Marry your fiancé, little girl. Become a docile wife and pleasure your husband at home where you belong."

"Fuck you," I said.

"Tsk, tsk," he clucked. "Naughty, naughty. That's not the kind of language nice ladies use."

"I'm not a nice lady," I told him. "I'm the mother fucking Witch Queen."

"That's right," he said with a cruel smile. "And with your powers, I'll be able to find and destroy every single witch in this god forsaken kingdom."

"So that's your end game," I said. "If you think I'll give it up to you willingly, you're pathetic and wrong."

He shrugged. "Who said anything about willingly?" With a sudden fluid movement, he struck out his hand in a stabbing motion, and I flew across the room, slamming painfully against the wall. He held me there, his hand curled into a claw. I struggled to breathe as his invisible hand held me by the neck.

"Now, Robin!" cried Ursula. I closed my eyes and lit three fires in each of the piles of rocks we'd prepared over the entrances. There were three loud bangs, and Matthew dropped me in surprise. I fell to the ground, gasping for air and clutching at my neck.

"No!" he screamed, covering his head to shield himself from the falling stone. Ursula ran over and grabbed me, and she pulled me towards the entrance. To my horror, the entire cave was beginning to collapse. The other three ran towards the entrance, and we crowded into the tunnel, crawling as fast as we could. I was at the end of the line.

Behind me, someone grabbed my ankle. I turned to strike his hand away. His face was black and blue from being struck by rocks, and he looked like he was being buried alive.

"Help…me!" he gasped, reaching out his hand. I looked over at Ursula, who looked horrified.

"Leave him, Robin!" she cried.

I looked back at Matthew, whose black hat was askew, his shoulders torn and bloody. His eyes were red with quiet desperation. I grabbed his hand, and pulled him from the wreckage. Together we ran towards the waterfall, finally feeling the cool, absolving rush of water upon our heads.

"You idiot!" Ursula yelled at me, as I lay on my back on the grassy banks of the river. "What were you thinking?"

"I don't know," I said weakly, coughing. Matthew lay beside me, unconscious.

"Well, tie him up," said Ursula in disgust. "He's your prisoner now."

I conjured up a length of rope, and carefully tied his wrists and ankles.

"Should I wake him?" I asked, uncertain. Beside us, Miranda, Medusa and Morgan coughed up water and checked themselves for broken bones.

"Who knows?" said Medusa, shrugging. "I'd have left him there to rot if I were you."

"You're not me," I said. "I couldn't just leave him there to die."

"Ugh," Ursula said, kicking at his side. "He's your cross to bear now."

"Help me get him back to the castle," I said.

Morgan helped me lift the barely conscious Matthew to his feet, and between the two of us we half carried, half dragged him back to the castle, where we placed him in a small, spare room. I enchanted everything in the room to stay exactly where it was, and I charmed the lock on our way out.

"Well?" asked Aurora, who was waiting in my room when I got back, exhausted.

"Well, what?" I asked, closing the door and climbing into bed next to her.

"What happened?" she asked. "With the Witch Hunter. Did you kill him?"

"No," I said with a sigh. "I did not kill him."

"What did he want?"

"He wanted my powers, and to use them to destroy the rest of the witches."

"That's awful," said Aurora. "Did you stop him?"

"Of course," I said. "You don't see me dead or powerless, do you?"

"No, thank God," she said. "You had me worried to death."

"I'm sorry," I said, sleepily, already beginning to drift off.

"So, what did you do to him?" she asked.

"I saved his life."

Chapter Seventy Nine: Redemption

The next morning I slept until late in the afternoon. Mercifully, Ursula was not there to wake me up. She and Medusa had left to contact Katrina and the rest of the coven. That left Morgan, who knocked on my door sometime around three.

"How are you feeling?" she said kindly, placing a cup of tea and a plate of biscuits on my bedside table.

"I have the biggest headache," I said with a groan.

"I'm not surprised," she said sympathetically, sitting down on the bed. "You did quite a number on that cave back there."

"Yeah," I said, sipping the tea. "I must have panicked. I didn't think he was really going to hurt me."

"You should never be surprised by the Witch Hunters," she said wisely. "They will resort to all sorts of horrible means to get you. They killed my parents when I was very young."

"I'm so sorry," I said.

"It's okay," she said, shrugging. "I don't really remember them. I was raised by my aunt."

"That's awful," I said. "Do you know the witch hunter who did it?"

She nodded. "It was the one before Matthew Hopkins. Goodman Brown."

"What happened to him?"

She shrugged. "The same thing that happens to all Witch Hunters eventually. Katrina had him executed. Stoned to death, actually."

"That's rather ironic," I said.

"It's funny how fate works, sometimes," she said. "Robin, can I ask you a question?"

"Anything," I said.

"Why did you save the Witch Hunter?" she asked. "Don't you know how many witches he's killed?"

"I don't know," I said slowly. "I just knew I couldn't let him die, that's all. It would have killed a bit of me, to allow that sort of thing to happen to another human being."

"How so?" she asked curiously.

"I don't know," I said. "It's just not in my nature. I hated killing that guard when I had to save Adam from the mob. And Gaston too. I just don't like seeing things die."

"You're a rare breed," she told me. "You are a strange girl indeed."

"Thanks?" I said uncertainly.

She laughed. "Don't worry, it's a compliment. I wouldn't want a boring old witch as queen."

"I'm not queen yet," I reminded her.

"I know," she said. "But do you believe what he said about Katrina dying?"

"I don't know," I said. "I hope it's not true. I like Katrina."

"Me too," she said. "But she's a little severe sometime."

"How so?" I asked.

Morgan shrugged. "I just don't think she enjoys the little things about life."

"Like candied apples?" I said, laughing.

"Exactly," said Morgan with a smile.

"Well, I'm finally up," I said, pulling on my kirtle and my boots. "I suppose I should pay the Witch Hunter General a visit. Do you want to come with me?"

She shook her head. "I'll walk with you, but I don't want to go inside. He scares me."

"That's okay," I said kindly. "He sort of scares me too."

"Really?" she asked, as we made our way to the tower where Matthew Hopkins was being kept. "I would think that you're not scared of anything."

I laughed. "That's not true at all. I was scared when the mob attacked Adam. I was scared when Aurora was dying in my arms, and when Hook was shot by a poison arrow. I was scared when the tree was dying and we were too late to save it."

"But what about you?" said Morgan. "What about all the times when you were in danger and almost died? Weren't you scared then too?"

I thought for a moment. "No, I wasn't."

"Why?" she asked.

"Because," I said, thoughtfully. "I always figured that if I died, that would be the end of it. And I didn't need to be afraid because I wouldn't really be there anymore, you know? But when the people I loved were hurt, well, that's when I was terrified, because then I might be left behind."

"That's very wise of you," she said, admiringly.

"Thanks," I said with a laugh. We'd arrived at the door where the Witch Hunter General was being kept. "Well, I guess this is where we part ways."

She nodded. "I guess I'll see you at dinner then."

"Thanks," I said. She smiled and left.

I unlocked the door and walked in, closing it behind me.

Matthew Hopkins was awake, although looking a little worse for the wear. His arm had been broken, and it was tied up against his chest in a sling.

"Hello," I said.

"Hello, Robin Baker," he said.

"How are you feeling?" I asked.

He shrugged. "I suppose I could be worse."

We stared at each other for a moment, him on his cot, and me standing at the door.

"You saved my life," he said slowly.

"Yeah, I did," I said defensively.

"Why?" he asked.

"Because that's just the kind of person I am," I said.

"It would appear," he said finally. "That I am in your debt, Robin Baker, Witch Queen."

Chapter Eighty: Negotiations

I stared at him, unsure of what to say. No one had ever been in my debt before, least of all a mass murderer.

"Whatever you will have me do, I will do my best to accomplish," he said resentfully. "And then we shall return to the natural state of things."

"Which is what?" I asked.

"You and I are enemies," he said. "No debt will change that."

"I thought so," I said.

"What do you ask of me?" he said.

"I want you to stop killing my sister witches," I said immediately.

He shook his head. "That is my life work. I _am_ the Witch Hunter General, and hunt witches I must, or else I will cease to exist."

"Then die," I said cruelly. "I should have left you in that cave to rot."

"Perhaps," he said with a shrug. "But you did not, and here we are."

"Alright," I said thoughtfully. "Then, do you know a man named Rumplestiltskin?"

"I do," he said, nodding. "He is a trader who dabbles in the dark arts."

"I don't know anything about that," I said. "But I want you to find him and settle a score for me."

"What is that?" he asked.

"He saved my friend's life," I told him. "And in return he wanted – "

"Your firstborn child," said Matthew Hopkins with a nod.

"That's right," I said, surprised. "How did you know?"

He shrugged. "It's what he always wants."

"Why doesn't he just have children of his own?" I asked curiously.

"Who knows?" said the Witch Hunter. "Perhaps he's barren, or his wife is. Or he has no wife. He's wanted a child for as long as I've known him."

"How do you know him?" I asked.

He waved his hand dismissively. "We were friends, brothers, a long time ago. Our paths diverged. He chose magic, I chose to hunt it. We have not met since."

"I see," I said. "Are you related then?"

He shook his head. "We were orphans once, and we made a schoolboy's pact to remain friends and blood brothers forever. We grew up, of course, and apart, as boys do."

"That sucks," I said. "I never had many friends when I was a kid though."

"Few friends last until adulthood," he said, nodding. "The ones who do are worth hanging on to."

"So, you'll find him for me?" I asked. "And you'll get him to give up my end of the bargain."

"I can try," he said. "But he will not accept anything I offer. I've never known him to break a deal."

"Well, there's a first time for everything," I said decidedly. "I would prefer not to give up my firstborn, so you can see to that."

"And if I fail?" he asked.

"Then your debt still stands," I answered.

He shook his head. "I will have to journey long and far to find Rumplestiltskin. He does not stay in one place, and the path to find him will be treacherous."

"Fine," I said, irritated. "Go and die on the way for all I care. But if you find him, do whatever it takes to let me keep my firstborn."

He bowed deeply. "Very well, my lady. I shall do as you ask."

"Good," I said.

"When shall I leave?"

"It's almost nightfall," I said. "Do you really want to travel now?"

"I will leave as soon as you permit it," he said.

"Alright," I said with a shrug. "Suit yourself."

I unlocked the door, and, with another bow, he left with a sweep of his cloak.

I was not certain that I would ever see him again, although it would be good riddance if I did not.

"Robin!" called Aurora. I turned, and there she was, running down the hall towards me.

"I've been looking all over for you," she said breathlessly. "Where have you been?"

"Talking to the Witch Hunter," I said. "Where have you been?"

"Looking for you," she said. "Do you know where Ursula and Medusa are? I haven't seen them anywhere."

"I think they went to find Katrina," I said, as we walked back to my room. "They wanted to tell her about the Witch Hunter General and everything."

"Okay," said Aurora. "That would explain why it's been so quiet around her."

"What about Morgan?" I asked.

"Oh, I haven't really talked to her much," she said. "Is she nice?"

"Yes," I said. "She's the nicest witch I've ever met."

"That's very kind of you," said Morgan brightly from behind me. "I was just coming to find you, actually."

"Morgan, this is Aurora," I said. "Aurora, Morgan."

They shook hands and smiled awkwardly.

"Well, anyway," said Morgan. "Medusa and Ursula are back. They're in your room, waiting for you."

I pushed open the door to my chambers, and there they were, sitting on my bed.

Ursula glared daggers at me. "What did you do, Robin?" she asked flatly.

"I let him go," I said.

Chapter Eighty One: The Queen is Dead

"You did what?" Ursula exploded. "Again?"

"I made him a bargain," I said calmly. "He's going to go find Rumplestiltskin and make him give up my side of our deal. He knows him from a long time ago."

"Oh, great," said Ursula sarcastically. "Two of the least trustworthy people in the whole kingdom, parlaying together. Why don't you just go ahead and kill the rest of the witches yourself?"

"He hasn't killed any witches," I said, irritated. "We made peace for the time being, until he finds Rumplestiltskin."

"He's lying to you," said Ursula, rolling her eyes. "He played you like a piano. You're too trusting, Robin, I keep telling you."

"He'll come through," I said resolutely. "I know it."

"It's on your head," she said bitterly. "We had him, and then you let him go. Let that rest on your conscience."

"Fine," I snapped. "Maybe because it's not yours, but personally, I would prefer to keep my children out of the hands of random psychopaths."

"Stop it!" said Medusa, stepping between us. "Enough. What's done is done. I'm sure Robin had her reasons."

"Thank you," I said grumpily.

"Weak and flimsy though they might be," she finished. I scowled at her.

"Now is not the time to argue amongst ourselves," Medusa continued. "We have to meet with Katrina. The Hunter was right: she grows weak. We must go to her before she passes."

"Is that going to happen soon?" I asked, alarmed. "She looked fine the last time we saw her."

"She's dying," said Medusa. "Come, she wanted to see you."

We hurried to Katrina's bedchamber, where she lay in an enormous four poster bed, surrounded by her handmaidens. She was indeed thin and shriveled; her frail body barely made a lump under the thick bedcovers. Her hair had turned white, and her large eyes had a yellowish glow in her pale face.

"Robin," she said weakly. "You're here."

"Of course, your majesty," I said, kneeling at her side. "Let me know how I can serve you."

"You released the Witch Hunter," she said, taking my hand in hers.

I nodded. "I needed him to find Rumplestiltskin."

"I'm sure you had your reasons," she said softly. "I do not blame you for your choice, and nor should anyone else." She nodded curtly at Ursula.

"Thank you, your majesty," I said gratefully.

"Are you prepared to be queen, my sister?" she asked.

I nodded. "I think so."

She shook her head. "That is not enough. You must know it. Your confidence is important. It will give the other witches morale."

"I know it," I said.

She smiled. "I knew you would come along. We have been waiting for you for a long time, Robin Baker."

"You have?" I asked, uncertain.

"Yes, your coming was foretold, long before the year of your birth," she told me. "There will come a young witch, from humble upbringing, whose rise will dwarf the light of the stars. She will lead the witches out of darkness and bring on a new age of justice and prosperity."

"I can only hope," I said.

She smiled at me, her breathing shallow. "I have utmost confidence in you, sister."

"Thank you," I said. "Is there anything I can do for you? To make you more comfortable?"

She shook her head. "Life is uncomfortable, Robin. And so is death. It is folly to meddle in these things."

"I understand," I said.

"I want you to have this," she said, lifting the thin silver circlet off her head. I bent my head, and she placed it gently on my brow.

"It's heavy," I said, surprised.

"It is a crown of thorns," said Katrina bitterly. "Do not be charmed by its beauty, nor seduced by its power. Wear it cautiously, and never grow complacent in its light."

"I will," I promised. "Thank you."

"I give you my blessing, Robin Baker, Witch Queen," she said, lying back, her eyes closed.

"Thank you so much," I said, holding her hand tightly. "I will do my best to be a good queen, as you were."

She laughed mirthlessly. "Me? A good queen? It's kind of you to say so, Robin, but I was no such thing."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

She shook her head. "There were decisions to make, bridges to burn. I did the best I could, but, in the end, looking back at it all, I fear it was not enough."

"You did your best, your majesty," I said.

"That's the most any of us can hope for," she said with a smile.

"I will do my best to follow in your footsteps," I said.

She sighed. "May you be wise and just in your reign, Robin, Witch Queen."

And with that, she closed her eyes, sinking back into her pillows. Her breathing was shallow and labored, and I knew she would not open her eyes again.

"The Queen is dead," Ursula announced.

"The Queen is dead," the other witches echoed mournfully.

"Long live the Queen," said Ursula.

"Long live the Queen."

Chapter Eighty Two: Long Live the Queen

I walked slowly from Katrina's chambers, feeling the weight of the crown and the gaze of my sister witches upon me. I did not know where to go or what to do next, but I had a feeling that whatever it was would stay with me for a very long time.

"Are you feeling okay?" asked Morgan kindly, placing a hand on my shoulder.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I said appreciatively. "Thanks."

"You should make a speech," said Ursula. "They'll be expecting it."

"Who?" I asked.

"Hail, sister," said a voice from behind me. It was Hecate, accompanied by Ceridwen, Lilith, and the Witch of Endor.

"Hail, sisters," I answered. They looked pleased to see me.

"A coven must gather whenever the crown is passed to a new queen," said Ceridwen. I nodded.

"Where should we hold this coven?" I asked.

"How about the garden?" suggested Morgan.

"Sounds fine with me," I said with a shrug.

"Alright," said Ursula decisively. "I suppose we can meet there at midnight." 

"When is that?" I asked.

"About half an hour," said Morgan.

"I guess we better head over then?" I asked.

"Lead, and we shall follow," said Lilith with a smile.

And so we went, a procession dressed in black, to the gardens, where we gathered in a circle under the light of a waning moon.

Each witch stepped forward to begin the ceremony.

"Ursula."

"Medusa."

"Morgan le Fay."

"Lilith."

"Hecate."

"The Witch of Endor."

"Ceridwen."

"Ariel."

"Cersei."

"Cassandra."

"And I am Robin," I said, echoing Katrina's words. "Welcome, sisters. It's good to see you again."

"Greetings, Witch Queen," they murmured in response.

"We are gathered here today," I said slowly. "To mourn the loss of one of our own. The last Witch Queen, Katrina."

"The Witch Queen is dead," they said in unison. "Long live the Witch Queen."

"Thank you," I said. "I hope I can serve you well."

I looked around the circle at their bowed heads, the dark, red, and brown hair. I felt a surge of power flow around the ring, as our magic mingled together like the blood coursing through our veins.

"We live in dark times, my sisters," I said. "There are some who say the era of the witch is over." I paused for effect. "I say to those who doubt us, you know nothing of our powers."

The witches murmured in agreement.

"There is a darkness that threatens our land," I said. "Witch Hunters burn us, their mercenaries cut us down like wheat, and those who hate magic rejoice. But they have not heard our answer, have they, sisters?"

"No," they replied in unison.

"That's right," I said, walking around the circle. "They know nothing of our secrets, the powers that run through our veins. They know nothing of the old ways, the dark arts, the ancient language that goes forgotten in those who fear witchcraft."

I looked at each of their faces, noting whose showed fear and whose were calm.

"Some, like the late King Arthur, fear magic because of their ignorance," I said. "But soon they will fear magic because of their understanding. We will show them how fearsome we can be, won't we sisters?"

"Yes," they answered.

"That's right," I said. "Too long we have lived in the shadows, like mice, cowering behind doors. Too long we have practiced our craft in secret, spoken our language in whispers. Too long we have traveled this land in disguises, cloaked our hair, and called each other by false names. Too long have we feared the powers and treachery of men."

I paused, watching the flames of our campfire flicker and lick at the stones surrounding it. The fire cast eerie shadows at our feet, and above us the moon hung like a great orb spun of white silk.

"No longer," I said resolutely. "No longer will we cower in fear. No longer will we hide our true natures, nor shall we disguise the full extent of our powers. We will practice our witchcraft in the open, my sisters, and we will be loved for it."

The witches murmured in assent, and I smiled.

"The era of the witch has not yet dawned," I told them. "The world has yet to see who we truly are. And we will show them, will we not?"

"Yes, sister," they agreed.

"Truly, dark times are the only times when we can show who we really are," I cried. "The soldier who enlists during peacetime is no true soldier. The doctor who treats healthy patients is no true healer. It is only in times of conflict, of war and confrontation, that we can discover who we are, at the core of our being."

"We are yours to command, Witch Queen," the witches called. "Let us know your will, and we shall carry it out."

"My will is this, sisters," I said. "Prepare yourselves. We go to war."

Chapter Eighty Three: The Impending War

"Good speech," said Morgan cheerily at breakfast the next morning. I groaned in response, still nursing a splitting headache.

"Are you feeling better?" she asked, concerned.

"I have a headache," I said, putting my head down on the table.

"Here," said Morgan kindly, placing a cool hand on my forehead. All of a sudden, it was like my headache had melted away.

"Wow, that was amazing!" I said, impressed. "How did you do that?"

She laughed. "Oh, I don't know. I have my ways."

"Well, that was fantastic," I said, rubbing my head. "I can have a productive day now."

"And what would that involve?" asked Aurora, over the butter dish.

"I was going to talk strategy with the king," I told her, reaching for the eggs. "Want to come?"

She shrugged. "Is this a witch thing you're discussing?"

"No," I said. "I just need to know what his plan is."

"Who's the enemy again?" she asked.

"I think we have bands of mercenaries from the west," I said. "Led by some unknown power. I don't want to wait and find out."

"How can you come up with a strategy if you don't know what you're up against?" asked Aurora, pointing a fork of sausage at me. "If I were you, I'd enjoy the calm before the storm. Gather my strength while I can."

"Well, you aren't me," I said through a mouthful of toast. "And since I am me, I get to decide what I'll do."

Aurora shrugged. "Alright, let me know if there's anything I can do to help." And with that, she left.

"Is she mad at me?" I wondered out loud.

"Who cares?" said Ursula, sitting down beside me. "You have bigger things to worry about than some immature drama."

"It's not immature," I said. "She's my friend."

"There's nothing you can do about it," said Ursula, helping herself to eggs. "The darkness that threatens to consume our land, though, that you can help."

"What am I supposed to do about that?" I asked.

"You can talk to the king. Also, the leader of the wood nymphs is here, so you can ask her about what she and her fellows have discovered."

"That sounds like a pleasant day," I said, rolling my eyes.

"Hey, how about you take your vacation when the fate of our kingdom isn't hanging by a thread?" said Ursula.

"I didn't say I wouldn't go," I argued. "Just that I won't be happy about it."

"No one cares if you're happy," she said pointedly. "Just so long as you get the job done."

"Which I will," I snapped, getting up to leave. "Thank you very much."

She shrugged. "Your anger may help you. Use it."

I found the king resting in his chamber, still in his sleeping clothes.

"Your Majesty," I said with a low bow. "I hope I am not disturbing you."

"Not at all, Robin," he said with a smile. "As long as you don't mind my casual garb."

"I don't, your highness," I said. "But we must talk strategy. And we should first have an audience with the nymph representative."

"You seem different, Robin," he said, nodding. "More…regal, perhaps?"

"I am the Witch Queen, your highness," I said.

"Ah, that would explain it," he said, smiling. "Pleased to hear it, your majesty."

"Please," I said. "Just call me Robin."

He laughed. "You'll get used to titles soon enough. Alright then, where is this nymph?"

He called for a servant to come and bring the nymph. While we were waiting, he turned to me.

"So, what do you make of all this power you wield now?" he asked.

"I don't know," I said, uncertain. "I've only got it yesterday. I haven't made anything of it yet."

"You will," he said, nodding. "It changes people, you know. It shapes them and twists them into people you didn't think they could be."

"That won't happen to me," I promised. "I'll be the same old Robin I've always been."

"We'll see," he said, smiling. "Ah, it looks like the nymph has arrived!"

She was a tall slender woman, with a curtain of willows for hair, and a long green dress made of something that looked like moss. She had bright yellow eyes and blue lips, and pale skin the color of almonds.

"Greetings, my king and queen," she said with a graceful bow. "I am at your service. Ask me what you may."

"What threatens us from the west?" asked the king. "Tell us true."

She nodded. "A great power that I have never seen before sits at the border of your kingdom, your highness. A darkness that I have never encountered waits for an order from their leader."

"And who is this leader?" I asked.

"He has many names, my lady," she said. "They call him Banelord, and Shadowfoot, and Silverhair. He calls himself Aeron, your majesty, bringer of death."

"Aeron," I said slowly. "And where is he from? Who is he?"

She shook her head. "I know not, your majesty. I only know that he is strong, stronger than any enchanter that I have ever encountered. I know that he is fearless, and he is without mercy. I know that he plans to rain destruction down upon your kingdom."

"Why does he act with such aggression?" asked the king.

She shrugged sadly. "Does death ever need a reason?"

Chapter Eighty Four: Rumors

"Thank you, my lady," I said with a bow. "May I know your name?"

She nodded. "I am called Melanie, your highness."

"Your service is invaluable," I told her. "If there is ever anything you need, do not hesitate to ask."

"Thank you, your majesty," she said with a graceful curtsy. "I am at your service."

I stood. "Let it be known throughout the kingdom that anyone who has any information on this Aeron Banelord should come to me immediately. Ten pieces of gold for any news they can bring."

"It is done, your highness," said Melanie. And she left, leaving behind the faint scent of freshly cut grass and tree bark.

"Nymphs," said the king, shaking his head.

"What about them?" I asked.

"They're fantastic," he said dreamily. I laughed.

"I guess I'll go down to the atrium and wait for the rumors to spill in," I said.

And spill in they did. People, nymphs, wargs, werewolves, vampires, witches, and fairies came to share what they knew about this Aeron.

"He has the head of a wolf," said one peasant. "And he can transform into a dragon if he wants to."

"He feeds off the blood of infants," said a man who was covered in fur. "His followers sacrifice a virgin to him every Tuesday."

"He is the devil himself," said a fairy, dressed in blue. "His court is in hell, and he has come up to take over the world."

"This is utterly useless," said Ursula, during a break in the stream. "These people are hysterical."

"Can you blame them?" I asked, taking a sip of water. "They're terrified."

"Terrified people don't make for good information," she told me.

"Do you have any better ideas?" I asked.

She shrugged. "Why don't you try scrying him?"

"I can only scry things I've seen before," I said. "Can you?"

"I've never heard of the man myself," she said. "But we need a better plan."

"Well, he'll show himself eventually, and then we'll know whether all the rumors are true or not," I said.

"I hope you're entertained."

"I am, actually," I said, finishing my drink. "Although I think I may soon need something stronger than water."

She laughed. "Some queen you are."

I smiled at her. "And you think you could do better?"

"Focus, Robin, here comes another madwoman who wants to talk."

She did indeed look mad, with her windblown hair, and her wide gray eyes. She wore colorless rags, and her feet were bare.

"Robin Baker, Witch Queen," she said, bowing slightly. "I am honored to meet you."

"Thank you," I said. "And what is your name?"

"My name is Tabitha," she said.

"You!" I exclaimed. "Your sister has been looking all over for you." 

She nodded. "I know. I miss her dearly."

"We can find her for you if you like," I said.

She shook her head. "That is not our destiny. I am here only briefly, to give you news of Aeron Banelord."

"Yes, do continue," I said.

"Ever since I left my sister," she began. "I have traveled long and far this cursed land of ours. You would not believe the wickedness I have seen. Father lying with daughter and sister with brother. Mothers killing toddlers before they've learned to walk. People are possessed, Witch Queen. This land is going insane."

"I heard you were the mad one," I said, tactlessly.

She shook her head. "When the whole world goes crazy, they persecute the sane ones first."

"Is that so?" I asked skeptically.

She nodded. "You can believe me or not, Witch Queen, but if you doubt me, you'll pay for it later." 

"What do you have to say?" I asked.

"Aeron is no devil, nor is he a shapeshifter, nor does he drink the blood of infants, or whatever other nonsense this crowd is spewing. He is a man, no more, no less. Once, he was an infant, abandoned at an old church, where the priest took him in and raised him as his own. But the priest was abusive, and made the boy pleasure him in unnatural, unholy ways. The boy killed the priest and ran away. He joined an underground brotherhood dedicated to procuring power over life and death itself."

"Necromancy?" I asked.

She nodded again. "Yes, the darkest of the arts. The boy fell in love with a woman, but she scorned him, so in a fit of rage, he cut her throat. He immediately regretted it, and tried to use his powers to bring her back to life. But when she returned, she was different somehow. A shadow of her former self, unnatural and cursed. And so he returned her to the ground."

"That's awful," I said.

"Aeron is an awful man," she said. "It's true that life has not been easy for him, but at each cross road, he has taken the darker path. And that rests wholly upon him."

"What happened next?"

"He has continued to explore necromancy, dark magic that it is. But now he is more interested in sending people to hell than bringing them back. He comes for you, Witch Queen. He believes he can steal your powers and rule this kingdom, or destroy it completely. He is driven by revenge, and fury. He thinks you are responsible for the hardship in his life."

"Me?" I said. "What have I done?"

She shrugged. "You were born, your majesty. And you have been happy. You have known love, which he never will."

Chapter Eighty Five: The Vagrant

That night, King Richard planned a banquet in celebration of my coronation. Against my better wishes, my friends forced me to wear the thin silver crown Katrina gave me, and Ursula, giggling madly, forced a scepter into my hand. I sat at the head of the long banquet table, watching my friends eat and chatter.

"Speech, speech, speech," chanted Medusa and Ursula, banging on the table.

The great hall quieted down, and Morgan pushed me off my seat. I stood, looking around awkwardly.

"Um, hello," I said, feeling uncomfortable in the spotlight. "How is everyone tonight?"

There was a cheer, and I smiled in spite of myself.

"I'm glad to hear you're enjoying yourself," I said. "I won't ruin your dinner with any comments on the impending war. Drink and be merry while you can."

The crowd cheered again.

"I am pleased to be at your service as the new Witch Queen," I said. "I hope we can work together to make your kingdom stronger and more prosperous than ever before."

The great hall roared with cheers and whoops.

"And, that's it," I said, embarrassed. "Now go back to enjoying your dinner."

There was a bang, and everyone looked around at the door. One of them had slammed open. At first, I thought it might have been the wind, but then a small, stooped figure slowly made its way through the entrance, leaning heavily on a tall oaken staff.

"Hello?" I asked tentatively. "Can we help you?"

The figure nodded weakly. "I have journeyed long and far," it said in a raspy voice. "All I ask is a seat at your table."

"Of course," I said. "Show our new guest a seat."

One of the servants ran over and pulled up a new chair. Another brought out a new plate, full of food, and a goblet overflowing with wine.

"Welcome, stranger," I said, lifting my cup. "Here's to your health."

"Cheers," he said in return.

"May I ask where you come from?" I asked.

"I am called Nightvagrant," he said.

"Greetings, Nightvagrant," I answered. "I am called Robin, Witch Queen."

"Your highness," he said. "I drink to your health." And he downed the entire cup in one gulp.

"Where do you come from?" I asked.

"The west," he answered, through a mouthful of potatoes.

"Then you must have heard of Aeron Banelord," I said.

He shook his head. "The name is foreign to me."

"But you come from the west," I said. "That's where his armies are amassed."

"I have not heard of this name," he said again.

"Surely, you've seen evidence of his aggression?" I asked.

He shrugged. "Perhaps I am not an observant man, or else perhaps your information is false."

"I have received the same information from many different sources," I told him.

"Then I apologize for my ignorance," he said, spooning more peas into his mouth.

"That's okay," I said. "Can you tell us a little about yourself? Where do you come from and why have you come to our kingdom?"

"I come from the west," he said again. "From a kingdom far from here, and little known. I come because I heard rumors of a great queen, new to the throne, renown for her beauty and wisdom and power."

"I know not of such a queen," I said. "But I have recently become the new Witch Queen."

"Your modesty becomes you, your highness," he said, lifting his goblet.

"Thanks," I said.

"The rumors have not lied," he said. "I see that you are beautiful and wonderful to behold. I see that your powers have not been exaggerated."

"Oh, you don't know that," I said, embarrassed. "Who's been saying these things anyway?"

"The trees, the birds and the rivers," he answered mysteriously. "The whole world knows of your greatness."

"You flatter me," I said.

"It would be a disservice not to," he replied.

"How can I be of assistance?" I asked.

"Being in your presence is enough for me," he said.

"Surely we can do better than that," I said with a smile.

"Perhaps there are a few things you can do for me," he said thoughtfully.

"You only need to ask," I said. "I am happy to welcome any guest to our kingdom, and to break bread with you."

He laughed. "Perhaps I would like a bit more wine, and a little bit more than bread."

"Ask, and you shall receive," I said, nodding to a servant, who went over with a pitcher of wine to refill Nightvagrant's cup.

"Ah, yes," he said, sipping from the cup. "This is excellent wine indeed."

"Our grapes are grown in this very kingdom," I said.

"I can taste it," he said appreciatively.

"Well?" I asked. "What can I do for you?"

"Nothing that you have not done already," he said, nodding his head gratefully. "You have fed me, given me shelter, shared your wine. It would be selfish to ask more."

"You have my permission," I said. "Ask away."

"Very well, your majesty," his voice suddenly cold. "Here is my request: die."

And then he hurled his dagger at me.

Chapter Eighty Six: Aeron Banelord

I waved my hand dismissively, and the dagger disappeared in a puff of smoke. Guards rushed to seize him, but he snapped his fingers, and thick ropes appeared, binding them.

"That was no way to thank a host," I said angrily.

He laughed loudly. "You fool," he said. "To think that I would come peacefully."

"I expected nothing less from you, Aeron Banelord," I said.

"You know my name," he crowed. "Remember it. You will fear it for the rest of your days."

"I will do no such thing," I said. "I'm no more afraid of you than a dragon is afraid of a rabbit."

"You're a bigger fool than I thought, then," he said.

"Do your worst," I said, sounding braver than I felt.

"I could kill you now, and take your powers," he said. "But that would be a little boring, wouldn't it?"

"I'd like to see you try," I challenged him.

He laughed. "Feisty, I see. I like that."

"I don't care what you like," I said, my voice tinged with disdain.

He shook his head at me. "You will, soon, Witch Queen. Soon you'll be begging me to kill you."

"In your dreams," I retorted.

He laughed, a long loud cackle. "I will come to see you again, Queen, in your nightmares."

And with that, he swept his cloak around him and vanished.

The great hall burst in to noise and panic. I stood on my chair and clapped my hands loudly.

"Order!" I called. "Order in the hall."

The crowd quieted down and took their seats again.

"We will not be threatened by strangers," I told them loudly. "We will not be terrorized in our own homes!" 

There was a cheer.

"This coward dared come into our hall, uninvited," I said. "He dared drink our wine and break our bread. And then he dared attack me, the Witch Queen!"

The crowd booed loudly.

"We shall not stand this aggression against our kingdom," I said. "We shall not sit back and watch this usurper invade our lands. We will fight!"

"We will fight!" the crowd roared in response.

"We will give this Aeron Banelord the war he wants," I said. "And we will bring it to him on our terms!"

"Long live the Queen!" cried the crowd. "Long live the Queen!"

Exhausted, I returned to my bedchambers, and threw myself into my bed.

"Are you alright?" said Adam, poking his head in. I mumbled indistinctly into my pillows.

He climbed into bed next to me, and held me close. I rested my head against his chest, and listened to his heart thud away.

"You must be really tired," he said, kissing my forehead. "You were wonderful today."

"Thanks," I said, my eyes closed.

"You taught him a lesson, that's for sure," he said.

"I'm not so sure I did," I said, yawning.

"Do you think he'll be back?" he asked.

"Of course," I said. "That's what villains do. They come back over and over again."

He laughed. "We'll be ready for him, I promise." 

"Yes, I suppose we will."

"So I hear you're the new Witch Queen."

"That's what they call me."

"Does that make me a Witch King?" he joked.

I laughed. "It makes you my fiancée."

"So we are engaged, then?" he asked. "For real?"

"For real," I said, snuggling close against him.

"Well, that's the most exciting news I've heard all day," he said, grinning widely. "And I've had a pretty exciting day too."

"Oh really?" I said. "What happened?"

He pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket. "I enlisted in the army today."

"No!" I exclaimed, turning to look at him. "You didn't."

"I did," he said, frowning. "You must have known that this is what I've wanted to do, Robin. Ever since I was a small boy."

"You'll die," I said, holding his hand tight in mine.

"Maybe," he said shrugging. "But I'll die fighting, like a man."

"I want you to live," I said, sitting up. "I want us to get married, and have children. And I want you to teach them how to read and throw a ball."

"And we will," he said, turning to face me. "I promise you, Robin. We'll have our happy ending."

"Not if you die," I said. "It would kill me if you died."

"I won't die," he said, holding me. "I swear it."

"It's not up to you," I said, turning away, feeling tears well up in my eyes. "It's not up to either of us."

"I have to do this, Robin," he said gently. "Please, try to understand."

I kissed him fiercely. "I do."

Chapter Eighty Seven: Battle

"What's the plan for today?" asked Aurora the next morning.

"Today," I said dramatically. "We go to war."

She snorted. "Yeah, right."

"I'm serious," I said, disappointed. "Take me seriously. I'm the Witch Queen."

"Well, I'm not a witch," she said. "So you're not my queen."

"Fine," I said, rolling my eyes. "But it's true. We have to prepare the soldiers and everything."

She laughed. "What do you know about going to war? You're a baker's daughter."

I frowned. "I'm a quick learner. What were your plans for the day?"

"I was going to do whatever you do," she said, swallowing a spoonful of oatmeal. "Only better."

"Okay," I said laughing. "Well, I was going to discuss strategies with the king. You're welcome to join me."

"I will," she said. "Let's show this Aeron what we're made of."

The king invited us into his battle room, which was a small office hung with tapestries depicting famous war scenes from myth and history. There were no windows, and candles lit the room, along with a crackling fireplace.

"Greetings, your majesty," I said with a bow. Aurora curtsied.

"Hello, ladies," he said, gesturing to the seats to his right. "Take a seat. My counselors will be here soon."

There was a knock on the door, and in walked three distinguished looking men, followed by the three princes.

"I am Melchior," said the tallest of the three. "And these are my companions, Caspar and Balthasar."

They could have been triplets, but it turned out that they were not related at all. They had studied the ways of war all their lives, and the king kept them as retainers for this express purpose.

"I say we attach them first before they attack us," I said. "Let's start this war on our own terms."

"That is a horrible idea," said Melchior, or maybe it was Balthasar. "We don't know what kind of force we're facing. We don't know their strengths or weaknesses."

"We can't go in blind," said Balthasor, or maybe it was Caspar. "That would be a suicide mission, for sure."

"Fine," I said, frustrated. "But still, I think we should go on the offense as soon as possible."

"We need more intelligence," said Caspar, or maybe it was Melchior. "We can't make a move based on hysteria and rumors."

"What more information do you need?" I said. "I mean, the guy was in our banquet hall. You saw him throw that knife at me."

"Yes, my lady," said Melchior. "We will do our best to find him. For now, though, it was good that he did not harm you."

"I mean, that's for sure," I said. "But we really need some spies or something to track him down."

Caspar nodded. "Perhaps that might be best. Do you have anyone in mind?"

"Sure," I said. "Aurora could do it, couldn't you?"

Aurora glared at me, but she replied, "Yeah, no big deal."

"See?" I said eagerly. "We've got a spy."

Balthasor rolled his eyes. "Do you have any training in espionage, Lady Aurora?"

"No," said Aurora. "But –"

"Have you any knowledge of military stratagem?" asked Caspar.

"No," said Aurora. "I don't-"

"Can you defend yourself in intense hand to hand combat against multiple attackers?" asked Melchior.

"I have no idea," said Aurora. "I've never –"

"I think we can make a better choice then," said Caspar smoothly. "No offense to the lady."

"None taken," said Aurora with gritted teeth.

"Who would you suggest?" I asked.

"A man, for starters, who can infiltrate Banelord's troops," said Melchior. "Someone who is not particularly well known around these lands."

"I met a particularly eligible fellow today," said Balthasor. "Adam, his name was?"

"No," I said loudly. "Absolutely not."

"Really?" said Caspar. "Why don't we ask him?"

Caspar pulled the door open, to reveal Adam, standing expectantly in the doorway.

"You wanted me?" he asked curiously.

"No," I said. "It was a misunderstanding. You can leave now."

He frowned at me. "What's going on here?" he asked, looking at our strange gathering.

"Nothing," I said quickly. "Just some gossip and chatter. Nothing that will interest you-"

"We were wondering," said Melchior. "If you were interested in doing your country a real service."

"He's not," I said.

"I am," said Adam.

"It would be a dangerous task," said Melchior. "You would have to infiltrate the ranks of Aeron Banelord."

"I could do that," said Adam eagerly.

"It's a horrible idea," I said. "You could get caught, and killed, or tortured, or –"

"When do I start?" asked Adam.

"Right away," said Caspar, a terrible smile on his lips.

Chapter Eighty Eight: Adam, Spy

"This is the worst idea I've ever heard," I said, unconvinced.

"I think it's pretty smart, actually," said the king. "Look, Robin, no one knows Adam because he's been a beast his whole life. He heads west, joins Aeron's forces, and the two of you communicate via that two way mirror you have. It's foolproof."

"I wouldn't call it foolproof," I said. "What if they find his mirror? What if they realize someone is passing classified information? Anything could happen."

"Do you want to win this war or not?" demanded Melchior. "We cannot win a war we don't know how to fight, and we can't know how to fight if we don't know our enemy. It's simple."

"It is not simple," I said hotly. "I –"

"Robin," said Adam, holding me by the shoulders. "Calm down."

"I am calm," I shouted.

"I want to do this," he said softly, looking at me closely. "All my life, I've studied military strategies. I know the languages they speak in the west. I'm a stranger in these lands. There's no one better suited to this job than me."

My face fell. "I just," I said, not sure what I could say. "But what about us?"

"We'll be here when the war is over," he promised. "We'll be just as happy as we were before, when we lived in my castle together. Happier, because we'll have kids too."

"Twins," I murmured. He smiled back at me.

"It's really Adam's decision," said Caspar. "If you feel that you should consider it a little longer-"

"No," said Adam with certainty. "This can't wait. Give me my instructions and I can leave by noon."

"Adam," I whispered. "Don't do this. Please."

"I have to, Robin," he said, almost coldly. "You of all people should understand that."

And I watched, helpless, as the three counselors took him away, like a lamb prepared for slaughter.

Adam left half an hour later without saying goodbye. Perhaps he thought that would make things more difficult, but I watched from my window as he climbed gracefully atop his horse and galloped away into the west.

I found a letter under my pillow. The ink was still glistening and wet.

"My dearest Robin," it read. "I'm sorry I had to leave this way, but I felt that if I saw you one last time, I would never tear myself apart from you. I know you will be a great queen, and that we will be together once again. I'll think of you all day, and dream of you at night. Love, Adam."

I felt tears welling at my eyes, and I buried myself in my pillows before they could spill.

"Are you alright?" asked Aurora from the door. I nodded, and she came and sat next to me, putting an arm around my shoulders.

"He'll be fine," she said reassuringly. "He's a very intelligent man, and he knows what he's doing."

I shook my head. "Do you remember when we rescued him from the mob, Aurora?"

She laughed. "How could I forget?"

"And when I saw him lying there in his cell," I said in a hollow voice. "I thought I'd died, and my heart shattered into a million pieces. And then when Gaston threw that knife, I felt like it had pierced my heart."

"It was a rough time," she said, frowning.

"I just couldn't bear it if something happened to him," I said quietly. "It would kill me. It really would."

She looked at me, her face an expression of concern. "Why are you so worried about him?"

I shrugged. "I just love him so much," I said simply. "It hurts to be away from him."

"But you've been traveling all this time," she said. "You were away for a while."

"I know," I said. "And it hurt every single minute. I just want us to be together."

"You will," she promised with a smile. "I'll make sure of it."

I laughed. "I can't imagine that you will."

She shrugged. "I have my ways. I'm no witch, but I have some tricks up my sleeve too."

"Thanks," I said gratefully. "You're a great friend."

"Well, about that," she said, embarrassed. "I wanted to tell you – I'm going to leave for a while."

"You're leaving?" I asked, astonished. "To where?"

"I wanted to go see my mother," she said, not meeting my eyes. "I want to tell her that I've found Melody, and everything is going to be alright again."

"Okay," I said sadly. "If you say so. Is there anything you need?"

She shook her head. "I just wanted to say goodbye."

"Thanks for coming," I said, giving her a tight hug. "When were you planning on leaving?"

"In a couple of minutes," she said. "I've already packed and everything."

"Are you riding?" I asked.

"Yeah," she said. "Do you want to walk me to the stables?"

"Sure," I said.

We walked in silence to the stables, where Aurora saddled her horse and pulled herself atop its back.

"I'll be back soon," she promised. "It'll be like I never even left."

"I'll miss you," I said plaintively.

"I'll miss you too," she answered.

I watched as she rode to the castle gates.

"And Robin?" she said, turning.

"Yes?"

"You're a great friend too," she said. And then she was gone.

Chapter Eighty Nine: Left Behind

With Aurora and Adam gone, I fell into a dark depression, where food tasted like stale crackers, and I was always tired. I filled my room with little paper cranes, and made them fly in circles around the ceiling. I watched them listlessly and ate nothing for several days.

"Robin?" a voice said from my door. "Are you in here?"

It was Ursula, and she let herself into my chambers.

"How are you feeling?" she asked kindly.

"Fantastic," I said in a deadpan voice, not meeting her eyes.

"Look, I know you're missing Adam and Aurora, but you can't just wallow in here forever," she said reasonably.

"Why not," I said listlessly.

"Because you're the Witch Queen," she said patiently. "And there's a war brewing."

"Let it brew then," I said.

"You can't talk like that," said Ursula gently. "You need to get up and get to work. That's what will make you feel better."

"Having Adam and Aurora back will make me feel better," I said stubbornly.

She shook her head. "You can't always be surrounded by your friends, Robin. Sometimes you are on your own, and you have to keep going anyway."

"Says who?" I asked.

"Says me," she said with a smile. "Look, we need you. The witches need you. The kingdom needs you. So stop being so sad, okay?"

I sat up reluctantly. "Alright," I said finally. "What do you want me to do?"

"Well, get dressed, for starters," she said briskly. "And then come and have some food. You must be starving."

"I'm not hungry," I said as my stomach growled loudly.

Ursula laughed. "Come on, Robin. We've missed you."

I pulled on a green dress and made my way downstairs. My friends greeted me in the dining room. Medusa began buttering pieces of toast for me, and Morgan poured me a hot mug of tea.

"Thanks, guys," I said, blushing. "I feel kind of dumb for moping so much."

"You deserved a break," said Morgan kindly. "We witches will be here for a while yet."

"Greetings, sisters," said Ceridwen, walking into the hall. She was followed by Hecate, Lilith and the Witch of Endor.

"Greetings," I said.

"It's nice to see you up and about," she said with a smile, ladling some oatmeal into her bowl. "How have you been?"

"Fine, I guess," I said, munching on toast. "I was just upset that Adam and Aurora are gone."

"Have you tried using the mirror yet?" asked Lilith.

"No," I said. "I was waiting for him to contact me first. I don't know where he is."

"That's wise," said Hecate. "You wouldn't want to contact him when someone else is around."

"Yeah," I said. "I hope nothing's blown his cover yet."

"He's no fool, Robin," said Morgan cheerfully. "Have some confidence!"

I laughed. "Thanks, Morgan. I'll do my best."

"Well, ladies," said Ursula, standing up. "What say you that we get ourselves into this war?"

"Sounds like a plan," said Medusa, grinning.

We followed Ursula to the highest tower in the castle, where we found a large room that was empty except for a stack of broomsticks.

"Um," I said hesitantly. "What's all this for?"

"Today," said Ursula, a mischievous gleam in her eye. "We fly."

"On broomsticks?" I said incredulously. "How on earth is that supposed to work?'

"Oh please," said Ursula, rolling her eyes. "You can't tell me that you've never heard of witches riding broomsticks before."

"I thought it was a myth," I said lamely.

"Well, it's not," she said, rolling up her sleeves to reveal bright green arms. "Now pick your poison."

"How are we supposed to fly on these?" I asked, taking a broom skeptically.

"Are you a witch or not?" said Ursula. She threw open the window, and climbed onto the sill, holding her broomstick in one hand.

"Where are we going, anyway?" I said, watching her uneasily.

"There is a coven to the north," said Ursula, testing the wind direction with a finger. "It's the one Arya, Ice Queen is part of. I believe you've met her?"

"Yes, but," I started. But Ursula had already stepped off the windowsill. To my surprise, she did not fall, but rather hung suspended in the air, perched gracefully upon her broomstick.

"Are you coming?" she asked, laughing, a breeze picking up her dark hair.

The other witches grabbed their brooms and stepped out of the window, one by one, until only I was left, teetering on the edge of the windowsill. It seemed a very long way down.

"Come on, Robin, we don't have all day," called Medusa.

"I've never done this before," I said, feeling a little sick. "What if I fall?"

"Then we'll need a new witch queen," said Ursula helpfully.

"Thanks," I said sarcastically.

"Try closing your eyes," said Morgan helpfully. I followed her instructions, and, taking a deep breath, stepped off the edge.

To my great surprise, I did not plummet to my death. I gingerly opened my eyes, and saw that I was floating atop my broomstick.

"Well?" asked Ursula impatiently. "Off to the north!"

And with that, we flew.

Chapter Ninety: The Ice Kingdom Revisited

We flew, the warm sun at our backs. We flew through icy cold rain, and misty clouds, and over blue lakes and green forests. We flew past honking geese and fierce eagles and a flock of sparrows. We flew until it was dark, and the stars above us flickered to life like tiny lanterns in the distance.

We flew.

And finally, just as the sun was stretching its golden fingers across the eastern sky, we saw the glassy turrets of the Ice Kingdom's castle. We directed our brooms towards the castle gates, and landed gently in the soft snow in front of the palace.

"Well, that was pleasant, wasn't it?" said Ursula, brushing snow flakes off her shoulders.

"It could have been worse," I said, feeling wired and wide awake, despite having not slept in about twenty hours.

"Shall we go visit our old friend then?" asked Medusa.

"Seems like it," said Ursula.

"Wait a second," I said. "How do you know Arya?"

"All witches know each other," said Medusa with a smile. "Come on, let's go say hello."

The guards greeted us at the gates, and let us in. We walked down the cold hall, where Arya sat at the end, wearing a silvery gown, perched gracefully upon her throne of silver and pearls.

"Greetings, sisters," she called when she saw us approach. "What brings you to my realm?"

"We come bringing ill news," said Ursula regretfully. "I am afraid war comes again to our land."

Arya frowned. She waved her hand at some servants, who brought over chairs and wine.

"We might as well be comfortable as we discuss it then," she said. I sank gratefully into an armchair, feeling the exhaustion sweep over me like a wave.

"So, ladies," said Arya, once we had gotten situated. "What news do you bring from the south?"

"War," said Hecate, her voice high and clear. "War from the west, by the name of Aeron Banelord."

"This name is strange to me," said Arya, frowning. "Who is he?"

"An enemy," said Lilith. "Who threatens our land and our very existence."

"This will not do," said Arya, looking dismayed. "How can I help you?"

"We witches must stick together," said the Witch of Endor. "Else we will each die alone."

"This is true," said Arya in agreement. "Shall I call a coven then?"

"That would be best," said Ceridwen. "Our covens will gather together, as they have done centuries in the past."

"Only in times of crisis," said Arya regretfully. "Would that it were not so."

"The time has come to join hands again," said Medusa. "When we fight together we are strong."

"Yes, sister," said Arya. "I will fight with you. Tonight we will call a coven under the light of the full moon."

"Perfect," said Lilith. "I look forward to seeing our sisters to the north."

"And we look forward to seeing you," said Arya. "For now, you should get some rest."

We were taken to our rooms, where the beds were huge and soft and covered in thick fur blankets. I sank into my bed and fell asleep instantly.

In my dream I was running through a dark forest, or else I was blind. I could feel my feet pounding against the damp ground, and I could hear my heart pounding in my ears. Something was chasing me, or perhaps I was chasing it. It felt like I was trying to run through thick molasses, and then suddenly I was drowning, falling through some heavy, viscous substance.

"Robin, wake up!" said Morgan, shaking me awake. "The moon is up. We have to meet with Arya and her witches now."

I rose, feeling discomfited by my dream, which, even then, was slipping from my mind. I followed Morgan through the castle, and we walked barefoot through the snow to the courtyard. The moon hung in the dark velvet sky like a bright shimmering pearl.

"Greetings, sisters," said Arya. She stood in the center of the courtyard, her pale golden hair shimmering in the starlight. She wore a light blue gown that fell to the ground and pooled at her feet like a waterfall. Around her stood six other women, who all wore dresses of the same fashion, but different colors.

"Belladonna," said the witch in purple.

"Arachne," said the one in green.

"Minerva," said the one in grey.

"Serafina," said the one in red.

"Thessaly," said the one in yellow.

"Esmerelda," said the one in black.

"Robin," I said.

"Lilith."

"Hecate."

"The Witch of Endor."

"Cassandra."

"Ceridwen."

"Ursula."

"Medusa."

"Morgan le Fay."

"Cersei."

"Ariel."

"Greetings, sisters," said Arya with a smile. "And who is the new Witch Queen?"

"I am," I said, stepping forward.

"Excellent," said Arya. "You can come stand by me."

Chapter Ninety One: Alliance

Arya took my hand in hers. "We will face this new threat together," she promised.

"Together," I echoed.

"Together," said the other witches in unison.

"Let us seal our bond," she said solemnly, taking out an ornate knife. She cut her hand with it, blood seeping from the wound.

I drew my sword across my palm, and we shook hands, feeling our hot blood mingle together.

"Now we are bound by blood," she said. "The most ancient of forces. Our fates are intertwined."

"We are as one," I said, nodding.

"Now," she said, healing my hand. "Let's talk strategy."

I healed her hand as well, and nodded, taking a seat on the ground.

"Who, then, is this Aeron Banelord who threatens us from the west?" asked Arya.

"I have heard of him," said Serafina. She had long black hair that fell straight to the back of her knees, like a dark waterfall. Her eyes were thin and narrow, and her eyebrows were dark and slanted.

"Go on," said Arya.

"He was raised by some priest who molested him, and his lover died. He dabbles in the darkest of magic, necromancy, although those he revives have neither the mental nor emotional capabilities of true men. He seeks to conquer death, and he grows closer to his goal with each passing day."

"This does not sound promising," said Arya, frowning. "How does he seek to do such a thing?"

Serafina shrugged, her long hair rippling in the moonlight. "Who knows? Possibly he means to strike a deal with Death herself."

Arya laughed mirthlessly. "Death strikes no such deals," she said distantly.

"Nevertheless," I said. "Our concern is more for his intentions towards the living, which are hostile, to say the least."

Serafina nodded. "Indeed. He plans to kill people, and then resurrect them, using their bodies as soldiers in his undead army."

"Well, that sounds extremely unpleasant," said Medusa dryly. "What can we do about it?"

"The only way one can prevent a body from reanimating," said Thessaly. "Is to burn it to ashes."

Thessaly had white blonde hair that fell to her shoulders, and eyes the color of the sea.

"We can't go around burning all the dead people," said Minerva pointedly. She had long black hair, dark eyes, and cinnamon colored skin.

"That's true," said Thessaly, shrugging. "But how else are we supposed to prevent Aeron from raising an undead army?"

"I know a way we can get a lot of fire in a short amount of time," I said thoughtfully.

"What's that?" asked Morgan, who was absentmindedly braiding her hair.

"Dragons," I said.

Arya frowned. "The dragons don't answer to anyone, and certainly not us witches."

"Why is that?" I asked.

"Once upon a time," said Arachne, who had strawberry blonde hair and clear grey eyes. "Witches and dragons had an alliance. Certain witches were chosen each year to be paired with a dragon. These witches were called Riders, and they were permitted to fly on the backs of dragons. But then one Rider grew greedy, and committed treachery against her fellow witches. She killed the other Riders, and tried to take their dragons. The dragons were outraged, and war broke out between the witches and the dragons."

"That's so sad," I murmured. "Why did it have to be like that?"

Arachne shrugged. "We witches have magic, but our hearts are human. And at the seat of the human heart is greed."

"You would be surprised what people do for power," said Ursula in a low voice.

"Well, I met a dragon," I said stubbornly. "His name was Sirius, and he let me ride him."

There were murmurs around the circle, and Arya leaned forward in her chair, frowning.

"You were his friend, then?" she said curiously. "You were his ally?"

"Yes," I said. "I'd say so. I saved his life."

"Then he owes you a debt," said Belladonna. She had bright red hair, so bright it looked like her head was on fire. Her eyes were a deep verdant green.

"Well, he helped me fly to Arthur's kingdom," I said. "So I think he's paid his debt."

Belladonna shook her head. "Saving someone's life is a lifelong debt. Surely he will help you if you explain our position."

"I'm sure he would," I said. "I'd just need to contact him some how."

"You're a witch," said Ursula pointedly. "What's to stop you from flying down there and finding him yourself?"

"Sure," I said, shrugging. "How hard can it be to find a dragon?"

"Will you go alone?" asked Morgan.

"I don't know," I said. "Is there anyone here who would go with me?"

"I will," said Serafina, stepping forward. "I've always wanted to meet a dragon."

"Me too," said Medusa.

"Well, looks like we have a posse," I said, smiling. "Sounds like a party."

"Good," said Ursula. "Now, as for the rest of you, I think we need to go round up the other witches, to the east and the west."

"I will go east," said Belladonna. "And so will Arachne and Minerva."

"And I will go west," said Thessaly. "If Esmerelda, Lilith and Hecate will come with me."

"Done," said Ursula. "Travel safely, my sisters. We will meet again soon."

Chapter Ninety Two: Sirius

The next morning, Serafina and Medusa and I set out on our brooms. The air was crisp like autumn apples, and we drank it down thirstily as we flew south from the Ice Kingdom. Above us, the sky was a deep blue, scattered with small cirrus clouds. We flew through flocks of geese and sparrows and insects.

"So," I said, as we followed the blue band of the river beneath us. "Where are you from, Serafina?"

"I was born in the Summer Islands, to the south of the border," she said. "My parents were fishermen, who worked the shores. One day my father found a pearl, and he used it to pay for my passage to the mainland. The man he gave me to was a wealthy merchant, but he treated me like a servant. Then one day I discovered my powers, and he proposed to me. Of course, I turned him down, and he grew angry. I overhead him plotting to kill me to his brother, so I escaped and came north. I found Arya, and she told me what I was. I've been in her service ever since."

"What a fascinating story," I said, impressed.

"Thank you," she said, laughing. "Although it was not all that fun to live when it happened."

"I can imagine," I said.

"What about you?" she asked me. "Where are you from? How did you become Witch Queen?"

"I was a baker's daughter, in a small town to the south," I said. "My father sent me as an offering to a beast in our town, and I ended up falling in love with him. I left, and went on various adventures. I eventually removed his curse. I guess I became Witch Queen because of some prophecy made before I was born."

"A prophecy, eh?" she said, her grey eyes curious. "What do you make of that?"

I shrugged. "I'm not sure. I guess I've had good and bad experiences with prophecies before."

"I don't believe in them myself," said Serafina, her long black hair blowing in the wind like a dark ribbon. "And it always changes things when the object of the prophecy hears it. What if they had never gotten the prophecy? Perhaps they would have acted differently."

"That's a good point," I said thoughtfully. "I never thought of that before."

She shrugged. "The world of divination and fortune telling is hazy at best, and misguided at worst. I would not make any major decisions based on what prophets tell you."

I nodded.

"Look, up ahead!" called Medusa from above. In the distance, we could see the mountains rising upon the horizon, and I thought I caught a glimmer of gold.

"It's Sirius," I said as we approached. And indeed, the large dragon was curled up like a glittering cat in one of the large caves. When he saw us flying towards him, he waved his tail in greeting, and stretched his huge, leathery wings lazily.

"Greetings, Robin Witch Queen," he said in my mind. "How goes it?"

"Not too well," I replied. "There's a war brewing."

He nodded. "To the west. I saw the smoke."

"We need your help," I said plaintively. "Aeron Banelord plans to raise an army of the undead, and the only way to keep the dead from reanimating is to burn them."

"I see," he said grimly. "Well, I am a firm believer that the dead should stay dead, and I have plenty of fire if you need it."

"We do," I said happily. "Will you fly with us, then?"

He nodded. "Of course, the time has long been ripe for another alliance between the dragons and the witches."

"You mean, there are more of you?"

"Yes," he said. "We dragons are a solitary race, and I am the only one in these mountains, but there are more of my brethren in the mountain ranges to the south."

"Really?" I said excitedly. "Do you think they will come to our aid?"

"Of course," he said. "They will if I command it."

"Are you their leader?" I asked.

He laughed, steam shooting out of his nostrils. "I am their father."

"That would be fantastic," I said. "We would be eternally grateful."

"Just as I am grateful to you, Robin Witch Queen," he said, bowing his head.

I blushed. "I'm so glad we found you so quickly."

He laughed again. "I am a little difficult to miss, no?"

"When will you go?" I asked.

"Now, if you'll permit me," he said, rising to sit on his haunches. "The southern ranges are a day's flight away, and I need to get started."

"Of course," I said. "Should we go with you?"

He shook his head. "No, I will travel faster alone, and the other dragons will be more likely to listen to just me."

"Alright," I said. "Where will we meet you and the others?"

He cocked his head thoughtfully. "Wherever you prefer, Robin. After all, we do fly."

I thought for a moment. "Maybe you could meet us on the battlefields to the west. I have a feeling that first blood will be spilled soon."

"Alright," he said, watching me with large, luminescent eyes. "Let's hope that it is their blood, and not yours."

"Thank you," I said gratefully. "I am in your debt."

"We are connected by fate, Robin," he said, blinking. "When you heard my cries and decided to save my life, you tied us together with the bonds of blood. I will fight beside you, or die trying."

"Let's fight," I said with a smile. "I'll see you again soon."

"In three days," he said, stretching his wings. "Look to the south. My children and I will fly to your aid, and we will defeat this Aeron Banelord together."

"Three days," I echoed.

"Be well, Robin Witchfire," he said. "An execution awaits you."

"What?" I said, alarmed.

But he had already leapt off the cliff, soaring to the south.

Chapter Ninety Three: First Blood

Sirius was right: as we flew north, we could see black smoke rising from the west. We reached the castle by the afternoon, and landed lightly in the courtyard.

"Robin!" cried Snow, running to meet me. She wore a light brown tunic, and exquisitely crafted chainmail over it. She carried a sword and a helmet in her arms.

"Wow, look at you," I said, giving her a quick hug. "All ready for battle."

She laughed. "Felix and I were just practicing sword fighting," she said. "I'm beating him, obviously."

"Obviously," I said, laughing. "It's so good to see you."

"Yes, it is," she said. "But we can't talk now. The king wants to see you right away. He wants to know if you've heard from Adam."

"I haven't," I said regretfully. "But maybe he'll contact us later today."

"I hope so," she said, nodding seriously. "Still, you should go. He's in the battle room right now."

I left Serafina and Medusa with Snow, and ran to the battle room, where I found the king conversing intently with the three counselors.

"Ah, the woman of the hour," the king said when I entered. "Robin, welcome back. You bring good news, I hope?"

"Yes, your highness," I said, taking a seat. "We made contact with the coven from the north, and they have agreed to help us."

"Wonderful!" said the king, clapping his hands happily. "This is good news indeed."

"Furthermore," I said. "We have learned that Aeron Banelord plans to raise an army of the undead."

"What?" said Melchior. "Surely you are mistaken."

"I am not," I said. "Although I wish I were."

"How can you kill something that is dead?" asked Caspar.

"You must burn it to ash," I said.

"And how are we supposed to do that?" asked Balthasor.

"I have also made contact with a dragon I know," I said. "His name is Sirius, and he is the father of a brood of dragons in the southern mountains. He has agreed to help us."

"This is fantastic," said the king enthusiastically. "Truly, Robin, you have been invaluable to us."

"Thank you," I said modestly, blushing.

"Have you any news from Adam?" asked Caspar.

I drew out the mirror from my bag. "No, he hasn't contacted me yet."

"Well, we need to hear from him before we can act," said the king. "Do you have any other means of seeing him?"

"I could scry him," I said.

"Yes, please do," said Melchior. "And can you contact him that way?"

"I can try," I said. I set the mirror a little to my left, and focused on a spot in front of me. I thought of Adam, wherever he was, and then, suddenly, there he was, in the mirror. It looked like he was washing his face in some pond. He looked tired and worn, and there were bags under his eyes. He took some water in his hands and splashed it over his face.

I let the pond show my face to him. He dropped the water with a splash, looking stunned. He left the pond, and after a moment, reappeared in the mirror.

"Robin!" he said. "How are you?"

"Great," I said. "We have allied with a coven in the north, and I've contacted the dragons to help us with the undead."

"Good, so you know about those," he said. "There are so many! I didn't want to believe it."

"How is he doing it?" I asked.

"Some dark magic," he said. "He can remove his shadow from his body, Robin. I think he sends it to the underworld to fetch souls for him."

"That's insane," I said. "Have you joined their forces?"

"Yes," he said quietly. "Aeron thinks I'm a farm boy from the west."

"You don't know anything about farming," I said, frowning.

"A very poor farm boy then," he said with a grin.

"Alright," I said, laughing. "Are you a soldier, then?"

"Yes," he said. "I told him I studied military strategy when I was younger."

"Great," I said. "What did he say?"

"He told me I could be one of his advisors if I proved my loyalty to him."

"How are you supposed to do that?" I wondered.

He shrugged. "No idea. I guess we'll find out."

"Do you know what his plans are?" I asked.

"Yes," said Adam. "He plans to attack in three days time."

"Where does he plan to attack?" I asked.

"There is a small military post to the west," said Adam. "There are only about twenty or thirty soldiers there to maintain the border. He plans to strike there at dawn on the third day."

"We must fortify that base," said Melchior.

"Indeed," said the king. "We will send soldiers out immediately."

"Perfect," said Adam. "I guess I'll see you there?"

"Yes," I said. "Make sure you don't blow your cover on the battlefield."

"Suppose he wants me to fight?" asked Adam.

"I'll tell our troops to keep an eye out for you," said the king. "No harm will come to you, I promise."

"Good," said Adam, smiling.

"I love you," I said, as he was about to leave.

"I love you too," he answered.

Chapter Ninety Four: The Base

The king assembled a force one thousand strong, and we began our march westward. Medusa and Serafina decided to fly ahead and warn the troops at the base, but I rode alongside Snow and Felix. Both of them wore heavy shining armor, but I was dressed in brown leggings and a green tunic.

"Don't you want armor?" asked Snow. "We could get some made for you if you want."

I shook my head. "I find that it just slows me down."

"Yeah, until someone stabs you," said Felix.

I laughed. "Well, your chain mail does look really nice."

"We'll have some forged when we get back to the castle," promised Snow.

"Thanks," I said with a smile.

"Have you ever fought in a war before?" asked Snow.

"No," I said. "Definitely not. The most exciting thing I did before I met Adam was break in horses."

"Really?" asked Felix. "You were a farm girl?"

I shook my head. "My father was a baker, but my uncle owned a stable, and he let me and my brother ride the horses when we were good."

"Did your entire family live in that town?"

"Just my immediate family and my aunt, uncle and cousins," I said.

"Have you gone back since?" asked Felix.

"No," I said. "And I have no intention of doing so. My father sent me away, and so away is where I'll stay."

"Family is important," said Snow, frowning. "Even if you don't get along."

"Says the girl who killed her stepmother," I said pointedly.

She rolled her eyes. "She was trying to kill me first."

"You killed your stepmother?" asked Felix, impressed.

"It's kind of a long story," Snow admitted.

"Well, I hope I haven't caused any trouble in paradise," I said, trying hard not to laugh.

"If it's self defense, murder is permissible," said Caspar, riding up from behind.

"Evil may be necessary to prevent greater harm," said Melchior, from his side.

"Morality is relative, after all," said Balthasor.

"So how did you guys become counselors?" I asked.

They shrugged in unison.

"We took a test in school when we were school boys," said Melchior.

"We scored high enough to be recruited into a special military academy," said Caspar.

"And we had the best grades when we graduated, so the king asked us to be his special advisors," said Balthasor.

"Impressive," I said.

"Thank you," said Caspar. "And what sort of academic background do you have?"

"I learned to read when I was three," I said. "And I got books from the traveling book salesman whenever I could."

"What did you like to read?" asked Melchior.

"I liked Ovid's Metamorphosis," I said.

"A beautiful set of stories," said Caspar, nodding. "Although I'm partial to Sun Tsu's Art of War myself."

"You would," I muttered.

"The Illiad is superior, of course," said Melchior.

"Surely you don't mean to discount The Lord of the Rings trilogy by Tolkein," said Balthasor.

Snow rolled her eyes. "I like Ovid too, Robin. But when I was a child, Grimm's fairy tales were my favorite."

"Fairy tales were always wonderful," I said. "Good always wins in the end."

"It is not always such, in real life," said Caspar.

"In reality, it's the victor who writes the stories," said Balthasor. "But good is a sliding scale, not black and white."

"Still, fantasy gives us means of discussing morality and teaching our values to our children," said Melchior.

"Wonderful," said Felix. "But we will have to continue this philosophizing another time. We're here, ladies and gentlemen."

To my surprise, the military base was very beautiful. It was a fortress, made from granite. It towered over the surrounding area on a high cliff, from which a large waterfall tumbled over the steep edge. At the base of the waterfall, there was a large dam, with gears that turned in the water to generate energy.

"Wow, this place is amazing," I said, as guards led us past the tall stone walls. The crenellations lined the tops of the fortress, providing niches where archers could shoot from safety.

"It's the oldest fort in the kingdom," said Felix. "The first kings built it to defend from the barbarians in the west. After about a hundred years, they moved further east to the castle where we live now."

"Thanks, professor," joked Snow.

Felix laughed. "A bit of history never hurt anyone."

"It looks very well defended," I said. "How are Aeron's armies supposed to attack a waterfall?"

Felix shrugged. "Who knows? His armies are undead. They may not have the same limitations that mortal ones do."

"We have one day to prepare," I said, watching the soldiers drill in the courtyard.

"That should be plenty," said Melchior. "The soldiers have trained for this all their lives."

"Well, let's just hope it's enough," I said.

Overhead, a hawk screamed and dove for its prey.

Chapter Ninety Five: We meet again

I spent that night staring at my ceiling, sleeplessly thinking of Aeron and his army of the undead. I wondered what battle would be like, if I could prove my worth on the field, or if I would find myself cowering in my boots. I thought of Adam, and his new role as a spy in Aeron's council. I thought of Sirius' warning to fear an execution.

And then, suddenly, it was morning, and the sun rose blood red in the east, painting the sky with orange and crimson fire. I pulled my tunic over my binder, and laced up my boots over my trousers. I strapped my sword to my belt, and headed out to the courtyard.

Snow and Felix were already there, going at it with large staffs. Snow blocked and parried, and Felix returned her blows with thrusts of his own. Finally, Snow ducked Felix's staff, and swept out with hers, knocking him off his feet. He fell, laughing, and she sat down next to them. The two of them kissed.

"Break it up," I said, laughing. "We've got a war to wage here."

"There's always time for kissing," said Felix. Snow pulled him to his feet, and he returned the staff to the armory.

"Are you ready?" I asked, as they pulled on their chain mail and armor.

"As ready as we'll ever be," said Snow. She fastened her sword to her side, and picked up an ornate shield, carved with the royal crest.

A messenger rushed into the room. "Your highness," he said, panting. "Warriors to the west. They're coming."

Felix frowned. "I guess it's time."

The three of us joined the other soldiers on the edge of the cliff. We watched as columns of black smoke and masses of troops appeared over the horizon.

"Should we fly out and take a look?" asked Serafina.

"Yes," I said. "But make sure you stay high, out of range of their archers."

"Will do," said Serafina. And she leapt onto her broomstick and soared into the sky.

We watched her disappear into the distance, a speck in the pale blue sea.

"Do you think those are the undead?" asked Snow.

"No, they look like men to me," said Felix, looking through his binoculars.

"Mercenaries?" I asked.

"If we're lucky," said Caspar. "It's been shown that mercenaries don't fight as strongly as men who believe in what they're dying for."

"I hope you're right," I said.

"I am," he replied smugly. I rolled my eyes.

"Is that Aeron?" asked Snow, taking the binoculars from Felix.

"It looks like it," said Felix. "He's not a tall man, but he wears that headdress or whatever it is."

"It's a necromancer's cape," said Melchior, frowning. "He wears it to show his dominance over death."

"Really?" I said sarcastically. "I thought that would have been obvious from his army of undead followers."

"Hey, don't shoot the messenger," said Melchior, shrugging.

"Alright, guys," I said. "Let's review the battle plan."

"Okay," said Caspar. "When they get to the foot of the waterfall, we pour oil into the water, and set it on fire."

"Cue horrified screaming," said Melchior.

"Next, our archers shoot down any soldiers who make it across," said Balthasor.

"And finally?" I asked.

"We engage anyone who makes it up the cliff in a good pout of hand to hand combat."

"Sword to sword combat," I amended.

"Sounds foolproof," said Snow eagerly. "Who's ready to get started?"

We nodded in assent. Two soldiers brought out two large barrels filled with oil.

"Only two barrels?" I said, disappointed.

"Oh, this will be more than enough," said Felix. "You'll see."

The soldiers cut a hole at the bottom of the barrel, and thick black oil began oozing out. They placed the barrel at the edge of the water, and the oil flowed into the clear stream, marring its glassy surface with its tarry viscous sludge.

"How will you get the oil out from the water after it's over?" I asked.

"We'll burn it up," said Caspar. "Quite the environmentalist, aren't you?"

I ignored him. The water was quickly covered with a thick ribbon of oil, and it crashed over the side of the cliff, churning into a black mess at the bottom of the fall.

"They're getting closer," said Snow. "I can see their faces now."

"Are you sure they aren't dead?" I asked.

"They're definitely alive," said Snow. "And Aeron is definitely the one in the cloak."

"Do you see Adam?" I asked, trying to sound casual.

"Yes," said Snow. "He's next to Aeron, actually. He's on a horse. He seems like he's doing quite well for himself."

"Good," I said, with a sigh of relief.

"Don't worry," said Melchior kindly. "The soldiers know not to harm him."

I rewarded him with a smile, and took the binoculars from Snow to take a look for myself.

Aeron was indeed wearing some kind of horned headdress. His cape flowed from his shoulders to his feet, make of shiny black feathers and silver chains. The headdress covered the top of his face, leaving only his eyes and mouth bare. The antlers stretched about two feet off the top of his head, like eerie claws.

Aeron and his army stopped at the foot of the waterfall, a few feet from the edge of the water.

"So, Robin, Witch Queen," he said, his voice booming over the plain. "It seems we meet again."

Felix turned to the rest of the troops.

"Prepare for battle!" he yelled.

Chapter Ninety Six: Witchfire

"Forward!" cried Aeron, directing his men across the river. Felix waited until the soldiers were almost to the other side, when the maximum number of soldiers were in the water, before giving the order to drop a match in the water.

Even from far up in the fortress, we felt the wave of heat as the match fell into the oil, lighting up the entire river like a giant ribbon of flame. I felt my old scars tingle, and remembered the fire that burned me under Arthur's orders. I felt sorry for the soldiers down below, but at least they would die quickly.

Aeron screamed in rage, shielding his face from the heat. Adam's horse whinnied in fear and threw its forelegs up. I watched in fear as Adam fought to stay on, and breathed a sigh of relief when the horse calmed down.

"You'll pay for this," he cried from below, shaking his staff angrily in our direction. The feathers on his headdress fluttered madly in the wind, singed by the heat emanating from the river.

Felix laughed mockingly. "Archers, prepare your arrows!" he shouted.

The archers notched a bow, drawing the feathers back towards their cheeks.

"Fire!" The archers released their arrows, and a thick flock of arrows rushed through the air. I closed my eyes, finding the arrows with my mind, and with a light push, set them on fire.

The burning arrows landed all around Aeron and his men, lighting their shields and armor aflame. Adam's horse whinnied and bucked again, throwing him off the saddle. I screamed as he fell to the ground, unconscious.

"Hush!" said Snow. "You'll give him away, and then he'll really be in trouble."

"He's hurt," I said, my voice cracking.

"He's safe for now," said Snow. "Don't worry about him. There's nothing you can do."

"I could magic him to safety," I said.

"You can't!" cried Snow, grabbing my arm. "If you do, Aeron will know he's on our side, and all his work will be for nothing."

"Fine," I said, watching him from a distance.

"Is there anything you can do to Aeron from here?" asked Felix. "Like, stop his heart, give him an aneurism, that sort of thing?"

I closed my eyes and focused on finding Aeron in the field. To my great surprise, I could not sense him at all.

"It's like he's not even there!" I exclaimed. "How is he doing that?"

"It's the cloak," said Caspar. "It shields him from magic in this world."

"What do you mean, this world?" I asked.

"If you could some how get to the underworld," said Balthasor. "You might be able to attack him there."

"How on earth am I supposed to do that?" I asked.

Caspar shrugged. "It's beyond my understanding, honestly."

"You'll figure it out another time," said Felix. "Right now there are soldiers scaling our walls."

Somehow Aeron had erected a magical barrier over the burning river. They had built a makeshift bridge out of wooden planks, and soldiers were running across it, shielding their faces from the heat. They took out bows and shot hooks over the crenellations, and they were slowly but surely making their way up the side of the fort.

"Well, that's bad news," said Snow dryly. "Can you do something about it, Robin?"

I closed my eyes and found the wires with my mind. One by one I tried to slice them in two, but the wires were thick, and it took time to break them. The hooks came up fast, and there were too many for me to sever. The soldiers began making their way over the tops of the wall.

"Soldiers, charge!" cried Felix, leading the others into battle. Snow drew her sword and ran towards the fray. I glanced one last time at Adam, who was still lying on the ground, unmoving, and leapt into action.

A large man charged at me, his hair tied in thick braids that fell down to his waist. He snarled, lunging at me with his ax. I twisted away, and parried with my sword. The blow of his ax shook my sword, and I could feel the tremors all down my arms. I ducked another blow, and spinning around behind him, I grabbed one of his braids and pulled down sharply. His head jerked back, and I took the chance to slice his throat neatly.

The next soldier was tall and thin, like a tree. He fought with twin knives that he spun deftly around his fingers. I blocked and parried the knives, and he stabbed at me again and again. Each time I ducked, until finally he managed to cut my shoulder, drawing blood. With a twist of my sword, I disarmed him, his knives falling to the ground. He came at me with fists, and I laughed, hitting him in the face with the hilt of my sword, breaking his nose. He screamed angrily, coming at me with a large stick. I struck the stick out of his hands easily and decapitated him with one sweep of my sword.

A stocky Amazonian woman with thick black hair in a bun at the nape of her neck came at me next, slicing the air with a large machete. I was slightly surprised to see another woman in the enemies' ranks, but I quickly forgot about gender roles when she sliced at me again, coming a little too close this time. I swung out with my sword, catching her unawares under the rib. She cried out in pain and swiped at me with the machete. I leapt backwards again and plunged my sword into her stomach. She collapsed, almost pulling me down along with her. I yanked my sword out of her limp torso and turned to face the next opponent.

To my shock it was a boy, no older than thirteen. He held a sword in shaking hands, and came at me tentatively, slowly. I dodged his blow, and tried to knock the sword out of his hands. He yelped in fear, and struck back. I parried gently, and then, to my shock, the boy transformed into an old woman, who took advantage of my surprise to knock my sword to the ground. She cackled evilly, and brought the sword down towards my neck.

I rolled to the side, and the blade clanged to the ground inches from my face. She screeched in anger, and I grabbed my sword, blocking her next blow just in time. Then she turned into a young girl of eight, barely big enough to hold the sword she wielded. She grinned toothily at me, and, not fooled, I came at her with all my strength. She blocked my sword, and kicked at me with a small foot. I tripped and fell hard on my hands. She struck again at my side, this time nicking my tunic, but not drawing blood. I feinted to her left, and she struck out with her sword, but I slid right and plunged my sword through her neck. She coughed, eyes wide, and then fell bad, sliding off my sword with a wet squelching noise. As she fell to the ground, she transformed into a tall bald man with a tattoo on his forehead.

"Robin!" cried Snow, running towards me. She was bleeding profusely from a wound in her abdomen.

"Let me heal you!" I said, grabbing her arm.

"There's no time!" she said, panting. "They've captured Balthasor and Melchior!"

I looked behind her, and sure enough, the two counselors were being carried away, trundled and struggling on the backs of two large men. On the ground, Caspar lay, eyes wide and glazed over, a sword in his chest.

Chapter Ninety Seven: Aftermath

"Fall back!" cried Aeron, laughing maniacally. His men ran back to the hooks, and quickly lapelled down the sides of the walls. I watched as they made their way across the enchanted bridge, carrying their wounded with them. Aeron lifted Adam and placed him gently onto a horse, which he gave to another soldier. The two counselors were tied up and led away on foot.

"Come here," I said to Snow. I placed my hand over her stomach, and she winced. I closed my eyes and began to sing in the ancient language. I could feel her wound close slowly. When I opened my eyes, the skin was smooth and unbroken.

"Thanks so much!" she said, looking impressed.

"No problem," I said. "I have a feeling I'm going to have to do that a lot today."

We set up a triage in the courtyard, with the more severe injuries on one side, under a red flag, intermediate injuries in the middle, and light injuries on the other side, under a green flag. I healed and sang until my throat was sore and I could not speak at all.

"Are you alright?" asked Snow, sitting next to me as I sipped on some apple cider.

I nodded mutely.

"You were wonderful today," she said with a smile, putting her hand over mine.

I smiled at her.

"You're very good in battle," she said. "I was surprised. You don't fight like a baker's daughter at all."

I laughed hoarsely. "Thanks," I whispered.

"You need to get some rest," she said, clapping me on the back. "You don't want to die of exhaustion before this war has even begun."

I nodded and dragged myself to my room. I fell into bed and fell asleep instantly.

I was running through the forest again, my eyes blind and unseeing. Somehow I could sense the trees around me, and so I ducked and dodged and wove my way through them. I could not tell if I was chasing someone or if I was running away from something, although perhaps it was both. And then suddenly I was stuck in that gooey viscous liquid again, running at a snails pace, my legs moving as if through cement.

And then I woke up, panting and sweating. My legs felt weak and trembly under the covers, and I lit a candle and grabbed my cloak, getting out of bed. I felt a need to walk, to get some air, to get out of that suffocating bedroom.


End file.
